Orange County Rat Removal Tip: What Do I Do If A Rat Is In My Home?

Rats are pesky little creatures that take up residence to breed and scavenge food. The problem is that they cause immense amounts of damage and carry many communicable diseases. After all, rats were responsible for the Bubonic Plague that wiped out a considerable amount of humanity.

It is highly likely that you will eventually encounter a rat in one of your dwellings throughout your lifetime. The question then becomes, how do you handle it?

What you should do when you find a rat in your home really boils down to two things. You must first decide if you want to tackle the problem yourself or call a professional. You must also decide how humane you want to be.

Whether you do it yourself or call a service, you must choose whether to kill the animals or relocate them. Rats rarely survive long outside their natural habitat, but it still behooves some to relocate instead of eliminate.

Prevent a Repeat

However you decide to handle the problem, there is something n you must do first. Before attempting to control the rat population, you must prevent a re-infestation by sealing off the entry ways. This can be a frustrating process as rats can fit through very tiny spaces.

All entry ways must be sealed with metal flashing or steel mesh. Rats' teeth grow constantly, and they have an endless need to chew. They are persistent and can gnaw through most materials, including concrete.

Prevention

As you attempt to control the rat population, you'll want to discourage them from returning. Keep food items in sealed containers and clean up debris outside the home.

It helps to trim all branches at least six feet away from your home and roof because they provide the most common access. Move wood piles away from the foundation of the home as well and seal up any obvious cracks.

Ensure that outside trash containers have lids that can be tightly secured, and all trash is placed inside the container. It sometimes helps to spray ammonia on the outside of the container as well. Rats find the smell of ammonia repelling.

Elimination

As you tackle your rat population, remember that you should place two to three traps per rodent. This is necessary no matter what type of trap you decide to use.

It is also important to note that these animals live in large groups by nature. You may only see one rat at a time, but chances are that there are many more. Never assume that there is only one.