Welcome to Rat Control 101, your starter guide to keeping rats from making your home their own. By the end, you’ll know about some of the most common species, the hazards they cause, attracting factors and prevention measures, and when you should ask for some extra help.
Rats remain one of the most common rodent pests in the United States, and Henderson homeowners and business owners should understand just how many problems they can cause and how to resolve an infestation. When you’re armed with essential knowledge, you’ll be much better equipped to fend off these destructive rodents. Let us help, with our effective pest control services in Henderson.
Common Rat Species: Identifying Different Types Of Rats
While it’s easy to think of them as one big category of rodents, there are actually many different types of rats.
One of the most common types here in the U.S. is the brown rat, also known as the Norway rat. This rat is between 15 and 20 inches long when you include its scaly tail, has a brown or black coat, and will eat almost anything.
The roof rat, on the other hand, is notably smaller, around six to eight inches long, with a tail that’s even longer for a total of 12 to 16 inches in length. This rat can eat pet food, fruit, and even small animals.
Lastly, the woodrat, or packrat, looks quite a bit like a mouse, but it is indeed a rat species, one that has a gray or brown coat and likes to eat small animals, insects, seeds, and leaves.
Unfortunately, one of the things that all rats have in common is that they have the potential to cause a number of serious problems for you and your property.
Hidden Hazards: Health And Property Risks Posed By Rat Infestations
Rats thrive on being sneaky pests that tend to go unnoticed. While they may be undetected, they can cause substantial property damage. It’s common for rats to chew wires, insulation, and other building materials while they build their nests. That’s really bad news for the insides of your home.
Of course, there are also a number of diseases rats carry, such as leptospirosis, rat-bite fever, tularemia, salmonellosis, and trichinosis. This is where an undiscovered rat problem can be especially worrying since these germs could be spreading in your home without you even knowing.
Of course, all of these problems can be avoided with regular rat inspections and professional rat control.
Rat Prevention Tips: Eliminating Attractants And Sealing Entry Points
With all this key info in mind, let’s now turn to rat prevention for your property. These are some key tips that you should keep in mind for your home or business throughout the year:
- Keep your backyard neatly trimmed and organized.
- Keep wood piles far from exterior walls.
- If you have a fruit tree, clean up any fruit that’s fallen soon after.
- Keep food sealed in airtight containers.
- Keep tree branches trimmed far from the outer walls of the building.
If you stick to these tips through the seasons, rats won’t have as many reasons to come into your home since you won’t be providing them with food or easy shelter.
Call The Rat Control Experts: Ensuring Safe And Effective Elimination
Professional rat control services in Henderson can absolutely ensure that rats are removed from the premises of your business or home and that peace of mind can be incredibly valuable.
DIY rat control, like setting traps or bait, can be helpful for small-scale rat problems, but these aren’t long-term solutions, and they don’t address the factors attracting rats to your property.
Rat control experts can do so much more by inspecting your property and identifying key factors and issues that could be leading to a current rat problem, or that could lead to a future infestation.
If you’re interested in learning more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Henderson, contact Anver Pest Control today.