If you have a rat problem in your San Diego home, you should read this handy guide on how to tell for sure if it's rats, the damage and dangers rats can create, the most effective way to get rid of them, and how to keep them from coming back. We'll give you a sneak peek: The best way to get rid of rats for good is to call a professional San Diego pest control company. Green Flash Pest Control can take care of your rodent problem for you with our effective Rodent control services in San Diego.
How To Tell If It's Rats On Your Property
There are two kinds of rats you'll find in your San Diego home: roof rats and Norway rats. Rat droppings are often the first sign of a problem. You can tell the difference between the two from their size, color, and location of their nests.
Roof rats are six to eight inches long, with a tail as long as their body. They're brown with spots of black mixed in, with white, gray, or black bellies. Their droppings are half an inch long, rod-shaped, and have pointed ends. These rats are agile climbers and often nest in attics and the upper floors of buildings.
Norway rats, also known as street rats or sewer rats, are 7 to 9 ½ inches long with tails that are shorter than their body and head combined. They're brown with black interspersed and have a gray or white belly. Their droppings are ¾ inch long, rod-shaped, and have blunted ends. Less likely to climb than roof rats, they often burrow into basements and the ground floor of buildings to make their nests.
The Damage And Dangers Rats Can Create
Rats can cause severe dangers in your house. First, they carry a variety of diseases that could sicken your family or your pets, including:
- Rat-bite fever
- Leptospirosis
- Tularemia
- Salmonella
Second, rats can cause serious damage to your property and your house itself. Because rats' teeth never stop growing and could grow up to nine inches in one year, rats have to constantly gnaw on whatever they can get their mouths on. That could include your furniture, walls, floors, wall studs, floor joists, pipes, cables, and electrical wires. All that chewing could result in water damage, carbon monoxide poisoning, and fire hazards.
Therefore, it's critical that you know how to get rid of rats in your San Diego home: Call Green Flash Pest Control at the first sign of trouble.
The Most Effective Way To Get Rid Of Rats On Your Property
The best way to get rid of rats in San Diego is by bringing Green Flash Pest Control in to do the work for you. We have 25 years of experience in pest control, and our licensed pest professionals are highly trained to deal with not only getting rid of rodents in San Diego but cleaning up the messes they leave behind and working with you to help prevent them from ever coming back.
Five Simple Ways To Prevent Future Rat Infestations
Rat prevention is simple, but it takes some work on your part.
There are several steps you can take, including:
- Close up all the crevices and cracks in your foundation. Rats can squeeze through a hole the size of a nickel, thanks to their collapsible rib cage. If their head fits, their body will fit.
- Check your eaves and roof, and if there are openings there, close them up, too. Roof rats are notorious for using trees to reach your roof and chewing their way through to your attic.
- Trim your trees, bushes, shrubs, and grass. Don't give rats a place to hide and gnaw through your foundation to get inside. Tree branches should be at least six feet from your house, bushes and shrubs must be two feet away from your exterior walls, and grass should be short, especially close to the house.
- Cover your garbage barrels, recycling can, and compost pile with tight-fitting lids. Rats will feast on whatever they can find in those areas, but when you tightly cover them, the rats can't get inside. The fewer reasons you give rats to be near your home, the less likely they are to venture inside.
- Keep your kitchen clean. Don't let dirty dishes pile up in the sink, and make sure you clean up crumbs or spills immediately. Vacuum and mop often, and take your kitchen trash out daily. Deny rats a source of food in your home, and they won't stick around.
Green Flash Pest Control is ready to help you get pests gone in a flash. Contact us today for your free inspection and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in San Diego.