How to Get Rid of Rats in Your House and Yard

Rats are known to spread disease and bacteria and can contaminate your food and the food of pets. They are especially carriers of leptospirosis, a bacteria spread in their urine which can be fatal for dogs.

Upon entering your home or business, rats can introduce other unwanted parasites such as fleas, lice and ticks.

These mammals reproduce quickly and a rat problem, relatively mild at first, can become very serious if not properly managed. n this article, we will help you identify an invasion of rats, how to get rid of rats in yard and house and how to prevent them from coming back to your property.

How to identify an invasion of rats

Rats are nocturnal animals. They are mainly active between sunset and dawn and live hidden during the day. It is often easier to spot signs of their presence than to see the rodents themselves.

Rat feces

They are often concentrated on a small area because rats can produce up to 40 pieces of feces per night. These feces are usually brown and look like sunflower seeds, they measure from 8 to 15mm in size.

Rats in the walls

Do you think there are rats on your roof or in your walls? The most common rats are black rats and they are very fast and can easily sneak into your attic and eventually crawl in the walls. If you hear scratching noises above your head at night, you may have rats in the walls or in your attic.

The brown rat (also called Norway rat or sewer rat) is a less good climber. You can hear it running under the boards of a terrace, a wooden shed or under the parquet floor. We can generally identify its presence by the characteristic grinding that it produces with its teeth.

Footprints

Rats leave traces of their passage (especially the legs and tail) in the less crowded and dusty areas of buildings. By tilting a flashlight slightly towards the ground, you should clearly identify traces. In order to make sure if there is an invasion in your property, sprinkle some white flour or any type of power on the ground and check it out in the morning for any footprints.

Rats Marks.

Rats tend to take one or two roads and take the very same road every time and that is due to their poor eyesight. These routes can be in either walls or boards but they sure leave marks.

These marks can indicate the presence of rodents, but as it is impossible to date this type of traces, these do not constitute a reliable indication of an active proliferation.

Damage

Rats’ teeth are constantly growing. They use their teeth to gnaw through everything on their path. They can go fast through wood, plastic thanks to these sharps teeth. They can also gnaw any electrical cables in their way, which may lead to fires in your house. Rats tear with their teeth and leave visible marks.

Rat nests

Rats build their nests in warm, hidden places with materials such as newspapers and scraps of cloth. In these nests, you can find both young and old rats and they are usually places near a food source. Make sure you check around places where you usually save your food such as cupboards and baskets.

Galleries

Brown rats are well known for digging large systems of galleries for burrowing, storing food and nesting. Look for galleries in the compost heaps, under the planks of your patio or garden shed, or in your garage

After getting rid of rats in your house, you probably would like to know How to Get Rid of Rats in Yard.

How to Get Rid of Rats in Yard

If the rat is on your private property (garden / house), it is your responsibility as owner to make the house and the garden inaccessible to rodents.

If you think it is a neighbor’s trash or compost that is attracting rats, it’s best to contact them or the local police in case your neighbor refuses to help.

If the problem lies elsewhere, if you believe that the container park, road works, sewer works or a public container is causing the infestation, you should contact the environmental department of the municipality or city.

Is it possible that the rats came from a stream near the house? Contact the city’s environmental department.

Moving forward and since you want to know ways on how to get rid of rats in yard quickly, here are some simple procedures to take.

  • Cut the tall grass at the edge of your property so as not to provide shelter for rodents. For the same reason, do not leave objects lying around unnecessarily.
  • Keep garbage in garbage cans with a tight-fitting lid.
  • Keep the wooden cords away from the house and raise them about 30cm (1ft) above the ground.
  • Do not throw fatty or oily waste, eggs or dairy products into the compost, unless it is contained in a closed bin. Attach a wire mesh between the floor and the bottom of the bin.
  • Eliminate water sources around your property: leaky faucets, pots, etc.
  • Keep the doors closed during the first cold days of autumn … During this period; rodents are keen to seek heat.
  • Plug all the cracks as well as eliminating or storing any source of food.
  • Inspect your house roof, as well as any crawl spaces under the house, to find access points.
  • Fill the holes with fabric or fill them with steel wool before applying the patching compound. This will discourage rats from digging a hole in the same place.
  • Make sure your dryer vent has a screen to prevent rats from entering through openings

If you have always tried all of the tactics we have suggested and still have rats, you should make a greater effort to seal any possible holes or crevices that these creatures could use to get into your yard.

If you happen to be unable to beat these little rascals, make sure you call a professional company. It will cost you a little bit, but it will definitely one of the most effective ways on how to get rid of rats in yard and your house.

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Libby Austin

Libby Austin, the creative force behind alltheragefaces.com, is a dynamic and versatile writer known for her engaging and informative articles across various genres. With a flair for captivating storytelling, Libby's work resonates with a diverse audience, blending expertise with a relatable voice.
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