Rats are one of those pests that you have to deal with pretty much anywhere you go. Rats have lived in such close proximity to humans that a lot of them have become at least partially dependent on us for food and shelter. That means rats are super motivated to avoid getting kicked out of our homes and businesses. This close proximity between rats and humans might be great for them, but it’s terrible for us. Rats spread disease, damage property, and generally drive those unfortunate enough to play their hosts up the wall. The good news is you don’t have to take a rat infestation lying down.
Rat Description
Rats and mice look pretty similar, so sometimes it can be hard to tell them apart. However, there are some big differences. Of course, the most obvious difference between rats and mice is their size. Rats are larger than mice – often by a large degree. Additionally, rats have larger heads than mice in comparison to their bodies. Mice also usually have soft fur and fuzzier tails, while rats have coarser fur and hairless, scaly tails.
If you have rats, you likely won’t have mice too. The bigger, meaner rats tend to move into the mice territory and outcompete their smaller cousins and drive them off. So if you see a big rat and a tiny mouse, you may just be seeing an adult and a juvenile rat.
Dangers Of Rats
There are two major problems with rat infestations: property damage and disease. Rats, like all rodents, have teeth that never stop growing. That means in order to keep their teeth ground down to a desirable level, rats have to chew on hard items all the time. This translates into chewing on anything from your home’s wooden or vinyl siding to its electrical wiring and everything in between. A serious rat infestation can do tons of damage with this behavior.
Rats also spread tons of parasites and pathogens. Rats, like most wild mammals, have fleas, ticks, worms, and lots of other parasites. That means they can bring secondary infestations into your home and infect your pets. Rats also are known or suspected to carry a lot of potentially severe diseases. Illnesses you may contract from rat-contaminated foods and environments include:
- Hantavirus
- Leptospirosis
- Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis
- Plague
- Salmonella
- Tularemia
- Some of these diseases can lead to serious illness, hospitalization, and even death.
Rat Prevention Tips
When it comes to rats, we’ve got good news and bad news. The bad news is there’s nothing you can do to stop rats from wanting to get into your home. It’s just chocked full of too many goodies. The good news is there’s a lot you can do to stop rats from actually getting into your home. To discourage infestation, take measures like:
- Properly Store Foods: Always keep food in the pantry or the fridge. Never leave things like fruit bowls or cookie plates sitting out uncovered.
- Properly Store Trash: Rats love to root through the garbage, so keep all indoor and outdoor trash cans covered with tight-fitting lids that cannot be easily removed.
- Seal Off Potential Entry Points: Rats can get into your home through lots of different avenues, so make sure your house doesn’t have holes or uncovered openings in its exterior that rats could squeeze through.
- Contact The Experts: Rat infestations are easy to get and tough to eradicate, so you may need extra help.
Here at Green Flash Pest Control, we can get rid of your rat infestation in a flash. We use advanced Integrated Pest Management to ensure results that are sustainable for the long term. So call us at (760) 334-4313 or visit our contact page to get started today.