What It Takes To Get Rid Of A Rat Infestation On Your Rochester Property

If you have suspicions about the scratching noises in your ceiling or the squeaking in your walls, you may need Rochester rodent control because you might have rats living with you. There are several clear signs of a rat infestation. You also need to know the damage and dangers rats can create for you. This guide will teach you how to identify and remove certain factors that may attract rats to your home. Finally, we’ll tell you how to get rid of rats for good. We’d know – at RodentX, we have more than a decade of experience doing just that.

Clear Signs Of A Rat Infestation On Your Property

There are two types of rats in the Rochester area: Norway rats and roof rats, which leave several very clear signs of rats in your house, including:

• Gnaw marks on food, furniture, doors, door jambs, cabinets, baseboards, walls, and floors
• Norway and roof rat droppings, which are rod-shaped, ½ to ¾ inch long, and either tapered or blunt on the ends
• Oily smears along your baseboards or the bottom of your walls, where rats keep one side of their body pressed to avoid danger
• Burrows or nests in your insulation, attic, basement, or crawlspace
• Actual sightings of rats

If you notice any of these indicators, you should call a rodent control company like RodentX right away because of the damage and dangers rats can bring to your home.

The Damage And Dangers Rats Can Create Around Your Property

Rats create two types of dangers in your house: property damage and disease vectors. As rodents, rats have a constant need to chew because their incisors never stop growing. In fact, if rats didn’t gnaw, their teeth would grow up to nine inches in a year – that’s longer than their head and body put together.

You’ll notice gnaw marks on all the places we listed above. That’s not the real danger, though. The actual danger happens inside your walls, where rats chew on your cables, pipes, and electrical lines. When they gnaw through your cables, your TV service, landline, and internet could go down, with a costly repair bill to replace the cable. If they gnaw on plastic or lead pipes, they could cause severe damage from water or sewage. If they pick your electrical wires to chew on, they create a very serious fire hazard.

The diseases rats can carry are no less frightening. They include:

• Rat-bite fever
• Tularemia
• Leptospirosis
• Salmonellosis

Any of these diseases could make you or your family very ill. That’s why it’s important to call a rat control company at the first sign of any indications of rat activity in your home.

How To Identify And Remove Factors That Attract Rats

Rat prevention in Rochester is easier than rat removal once they’re in your house already. There are several factors that attract rats that you can get rid of, including:

• Clean up any clutter in your attic and basement where rats can hide.
• Seal your foundation – rats can squeeze into your home through holes no bigger than nickels.
• Cover attic vents, weep holes, and your chimney with ¼ inch hardware cloth.
• Sweep up any yard debris that might harbor rats.
• Pick up dropped fruit or nuts from any trees in your yard.
• Take in your pets’ water and food dishes at dusk.

If these methods prove ineffective, or if you already have them living inside, you need professional residential rat control in Rochester.

Contact The Professionals At The First Sign Of Rats On Your Property

You may not know how to get rid of rats, but at RodentX, we do – and we’ve been doing it for more than a decade. We also root out any insulation that’s been damaged by rat urine or feces, clear it out, sanitize the area, and replace it. Contact us today for your free inspection and to learn more about our residential and commercial wildlife control services in Rochester.