Many are scared of or intimidated by mice, but even more are scared of or intimidated by rats. Maybe it’s their larger size, their grosser appearance, or their longer, thicker tail. Whatever creeps you out about rats, it is no fun to have them in your home.
Rats can get into homes from the foundation or through the sewer, both things that should be stable parts of life. (They are much more likely to get in through the sewer). In this post, learn all about rat biology, some threats they pose to humans, 5 quick tips for rat control success, and all about how we perform rat control services.
For all of your rodent control, including mouse control and rat control or if you have a nest of rats in your house, look to Done Right Pest Solutions! We are the best if you are in need of a quality rat exterminator!
Table of Contents:
- Rat biology
- Threat to humans
- 5 quick tips for rat control success
- Rat control: How we treat for rats
- Conclusion & next steps
Rat Biology
Rats give birth in litters, where, like mice, they are born blind and without fur and ears. They develop fur, ears, and eyes in the week after birth.
Rats reach sexual maturity at 6 weeks old, but reach social maturity at 6 months old. Rats can easily live over a year without predation. It doesn’t take long for one rat to come in and then soon you have a nest of rats. Even more scarier is that in another 6 to 8 weeks you could have more than one nest of rats.
Just like mice, rats can learn and adapt, become trap shy as they become smarter about their home in your property.
However, unlike mice, rats have a fear of anything new. Mice are typically more curious, adventurous, and more daring than rats. And for that reason, rats can be more difficult to eliminate, which gives professionals who perform rat control services the advantage: we know how to entice rats.
Sometimes it just takes a while to figure out what the rats in your home or business are interested in. But once you do, it could really pay off, because families or colonies of rats are often interested in the same thing.
Like mice, rats have poor eyesight and typically rely on their sense of smell and touch. Knowing this can help you trap them. Rats have been known to be more intelligent than mice, though mouse nests and rat nests can look similar.
For all of your rat control needs, like if you see a rat in house or business, look to the expert rat exterminators at Done Right Pest Solutions. Call for a free quote: 651-342-9489.
Threat to Humans
Aside from being a nuisance pest, rats pose health risks. They carry many illness and disease causing pathogens, like leptospirosis, bubonic plague, Lassa fever, hantavirus, and more.
While there are several different types of species of rats, like the ship rat, black rat, brown rat, and roof rat, in general rats pose health risks to humans.
While rats were a large factor in spreading the bubonic plague, the flea was the main spreader of the disease. Rats simply spread the disease to humans.
Pet rats are specifically bred in order to prevent the spread of illness and disease. Invasive rats as pests are not meant to be kept as pets.
Because of the many threats to human health and wellness, there is great importance of rat control services. So if you’re seeing a rat in your house, it’s time fore pest control. Give us a call for a free quote: 651-342-9489.
While rats were a large factor in spreading the bubonic plague, the flea was the main spreader of the disease. Rats simply spread the disease to humans.
5 Quick Tips for Rat Control Success
- Perform exclusion. Like with mice, rats typically enter in through the foundation of the home, unless they enter through the sewer. Old cities like New York, Minneapolis, Saint Paul and others have experienced this. In the case that they are coming through the foundation, rats can enter through any opening a half-inch in diameter. Close these openings with a copper mesh or a steel wool. If you are seeing a rat in your house, it’s important to close any entry point and eliminate any way they are getting in.
- Try a new trap. Sometimes rats can be picky. Try a brand new trap that you haven’t used before. Make sure to use gloves so as to not extend your human scent. If you have a rat in house or business, it is smart. Rats and mice are smarter than we give them credit for. It is important to take precautions when you’re performing your own rat service.
- Try a used trap. Using a snap trap that you have used before, that has been successful, can create the same success. When a rat or mouse gets caught in the trap, they leave their scent. Using that same scent as bait can be very enticing to the rat you are trying to catch. And if you just can’t catch them, you know who to call: Done Right Pest Solutions, who performs all the rat control services you could ever need. 651-342-9489.
- Use gloves when handling snap traps, food, or other rodent control devices. The oils from our hands transfer to the items rats and mice sniff and explore. This means that they can detect our human scent. Using gloves eliminates the risk that our human scent will transfer from our hands to the devices we are using. So, if you see a rat and are a DIY type of person, make sure to eliminate your scent on items you want them to be interested in.
- Check your door sweeps or seals. Garage doors on residential homes can deteriorate over time with change of seasons and age. Or, if you own a business, door sweeps can be an easy thing to overlook when performing your own pest control. While door sweeps may keep insects out, rodents can squeeze right through the sweeps.
Pet rats are specifically bred in order to prevent the spread of illness and disease. Invasive rats as pests are not meant to be kept as pets.
Rat Control: How We Treat for Rats
Done Right Pest Solutions offers the highest quality service that starts with impeccable inspections followed by a tailored rat service to fit your needs. So if you’ve found a rat nest or have seen a rat in house or business, you may be in need of our thorough rat service.
The technician performs an exclusion service to eliminate any entry points from along the foundation. Because rats, like mice, can climb trees, brick, and other areas near or around homes, other best exclusionary practices are completed. If there are any openings too large for the technician to fill, he will notify the homeowner.
The necessary rodent control devices will be placed, tailored to fit your needs. A 2 week follow-up and 3 month warranty are given to ensure the success of the rat service.
In some instances that the rats come up through the sewers, our technicians can treat drains, provide insight into the best covers to fit the drains, and eliminate drains as a source for the rats to come into your home.
In severe cases the city will need to treat the sewers for rats and that should also help your rat problem. Rat control should always be taken at a major level, and rest assured that cities around the country do work to control, maintain, and remove rat populations.
Done Right Pest Solutions offers a one-time rat treatment that covers all of your rat control needs. If you have year-round rat control needs, other rodent control needs, or insect control needs, consider our Peak Seasons Plan, which covers you for a 12 month warranty versus a 3 month warranty.
If you have had rats before or this is your first time seeing a rat in your house or a rat nest in your house, it’s important to take care of the issue quickly and thoroughly. Call Done Right Pest Solutions for a free quote: 651-342-9489. If you’re looking for a high quality rat exterminator, look no further!
Conclusion & Next Steps
Rats are no fun; in fact, they can pose a health threat to humans. In this post, you learned rat biology, threats to humans, tips to catch rats, and how we treat for rats. We listed 5 tips for rat control success so if you see a rat at your house you don’t need to panic.
If you’re at your wit’s end with a rat issue in your home or business, give Done Right Pest Solutions a call at 651-342-9489. Our technicians have the knowledge and expertise to take care of your rat problem today. For the best rat control in the metro area, contact Done Right Pest Solutions!
Here when you need us,
Done Right Team
Have you ever had rats in your home or business? What did you do? We’d love to hear of your experience in the comments!
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