San Diego is a hotbed of roof rat activity, and once these rodents find a place to hide in your home, eliminating them can be challenging. Rats invade homes looking for shelter, food, and water, and the best way to keep them away from your San Diego home is to deny them those three things.
Once comfortable in your home, they can cause expensive structural damage, contaminate your food, and spread diseases. Call the San Diego pest control experts at Green Flash Pest Control if you identify rat activity in your home. We know how best to find rats' nests and the best way to get rid of rats.
Where Do Rats Hide?
Rats in San Diego are sneaky and determined creatures. They breed fast and often go where they find shelter and a flow of food and water. They invade your home to eat your food, escape harsh weather and hide from predators.
You will likely find a group of rats in the walls, storage boxes, mountains of clutter, air ducts, behind cabinets, attics, spaces in ceilings, and venting systems. If you have insulation on the roof of your San Diego home, invest in rodent-proofing, as they love to make homes out of insulated areas.
Rats Can Be Dangerous
Rats are a health risk known to spread over 35 diseases to people and pets. The diseases rats carry include tularemia, plague, salmonellosis, and leptospirosis. These can be contracted through direct contact with the rats through bites, unsafe disposal of infected rats, and consumption of food contaminated with rat urine and fecal matter, saliva, and hair. Rats can also transfer diseases indirectly through fleas, mites, and ticks that live in their bodies.
Rats gnaw through wood and other building materials, which can compromise the structural integrity of your home. They also chew through cables and electrical wiring, which can cause short circuits and even fires.
Five Tips To DIY Rat Control
Living with rats in your San Diego home poses a danger and health risks to your family. Taking proactive rat control measures can stop an invasion and protect your family’s health and home.
Here are some home remedies for rat prevention:
- Seal openings: Rats enter your home through openings in your foundation, basement, floor, walls, and even doors and windows. Closing the openings with caulk, mesh, or steel wool can stop rats from getting into your house.
- Store food properly: Food sources inside and outside your house attract rats to your home. Keep bird feeders about 100 feet away from your home, keep pet food indoors, and seal your garbage.
- Get rid of standing water: Water sources inside and outside your house can entice rats. Fix leaking pipes and faucets, repair leaking roofs to prevent standing water, and keep San Diego rodents away from your home. Rats are attracted to attics, basements, and other crawlspaces with water as they provide the perfect breeding ground.
- Keep your home clean: Clear clutter inside and in your yard to eliminate hiding spots. Clean spills and keep the drains clean to keep the rats away. When you make your San Diego less attractive to rodents, they are unlikely to invade.
- Call the pros: Pest control professionals can help you effectively keep rats out of your home.
While there are several effective DIY rat prevention techniques, the best way to deal with an infestation is to involve San Diego rodent control professionals. Because of the dangers associated with rats, it's best to leave removal to trained experts.
Rats In San Diego Can Be Hard To Get Rid Of
It is hard to eliminate rats from your San Diego home without professional help. Identifying rat nests in your home may be challenging, and using techniques such as traps could be dangerous for your pets and children.
The most effective way to get rid of rats at home is to call the rat control professionals. Green Flash Pest Control experts inspect your property to identify the extent of the invasion and design tailor-made treatments for your home and situation.
Our team of experts seals potential entry points into your home and treats the drains to eliminate them as sources of rats into your home. We also recommend an effective one-time treatment that will permanently rid your home of rats and suggest preventive measures to keep your San Diego home free from pests.