Not sure how to tell if there’s an increased rat activity in your home? Here’s some things to look for:

Roof damage

To create cosy nesting areas and widen entry points to your home, you may find rats have gnawed holes and damaged insulation in your roof.

Gnaw marks

Known for their relentless gnawing, rats will leave behind bite and gnaw marks on your walls and doors, timber structures, furniture, metal and plastic objects, as well as cardboard and paper based products in your home.

Grease marks

If you notice dark rub marks around your skirtings and walls, this could well be the result of greasy rat fur and may be a sign that the area has high foot (paw!) traffic.

Droppings

Like large grains of black rice, rat droppings are normally 1-2cm long, brown-black coloured and form a pointed oval shape. They will turn grey when dried out.

Unpleasant odour

An accumulation of rat droppings and urine isn’t just messy, it leaves behind a strong, musty and sour smell that lingers in your home.

Noises in your roof

Rats are normally most active at dusk and dawn, and you’ll often hear scratching, gnawing, scampering, rustling, chomping, clawing and squeaking sounds coming from your roof space just as you’re trying to get your beauty sleep!

With the ability to reproduce quickly and at a young age, it doesn’t take long for a large population of pesky rats to be established. We’ve put together our top four tips so that you can make sure this doesn’t happen at your home:

Identify and proof all access points to your home

Quick, nimble and possessing sharp teeth which can gnaw through timber and insulation, rats can squeeze through the smallest of gaps and enter your home. However, by regularly inspecting your roof and exterior parts of your building for any holes, openings and cracks, and then sealing them, you’ll create less opportunities for a rat infestation in your home. We recommend:

• Sealing gaps with waterproof silicone or other appropriate fillers
• Reinforcing windows and doors with weather strips

Remove attractants

Hungry rats can detect food smells from up to 2km away and will actively scavenge for resources when the weather cools down. To keep them away from your yard consider:

• Keeping outdoor dining areas clean and wiping down barbecues
• Storing food in tightly sealed containers
• Keeping less fruit and vegetable plants
• Remove pet food, bird and chicken feed overnight

Waste management

Easy to access with plenty of food scraps on offer, rubbish bins, compost and waste areas are popular feeding sites for rats. You can avoid this problem by:

• Keeping waste areas clean and disinfected
• Washing rubbish bins regularly with detergent and hot water
• Ensuring that rubbish is stored in sturdy bags and bins have well-fitted lids
• Emptying bins regularly to prevent overflow

DIY rat deterrents

You can purchase ultrasonic rat deterrent devices and place them around your yard, making it a more hostile place for rats to visit. These targeted devices emit unpleasant ultrasonic sounds that are only detected by rats and not people.

Another natural approach is to apply strongly scented homemade sprays around your garden. These can be made by mixing water with eucalyptus and citronella oils, vinegar or cayenne pepper. Use this method with caution, however, if you have pets.

With the weather cooling down, the last thing you need to worry about is rats running around your home and leaving a mess.

Rest assured, Allstate has you covered.

Our friendly and highly trained pest technicians are always fully equipped with modern and targeted treatments to successfully resolve rat problems in residential, commercial and industrial settings.

Since 1986, Allstate has provided premium pest control services to all suburbs of Adelaide.

We’re available 24/7 for urgent enquiries and offer payment plans and competitive warranties on all our treatments.

Don’t let a few rats turn into a full blown infestation and ruin your cosy winter plans – reach out to Allstate today.

Unlike subterranean termites, drywood termites require less moisture to survive, and as a result, live exclusively in dry wood as their name suggests. They usually live higher up from the ground in wooden and timber structures and furniture, and as a result, are unaffected by cold weather.

As they don’t tend to leave mud tubes, it can be difficult to spot drywood termites in winter, so you may not know that they are there until they have carried out significant damage.

It’s highly unlikely that you’ll see swarmers emerge until the very end of winter, when the temperatures start to rise heading into spring. If you do see termite swarmers, it means that the risk of an outbreak near your home is higher because they are scouting for a good location to start up a new nest.

Here are some simple ways to make your home and yard a less appealing place for termites to settle:

Regular yard maintenance

Termites thrive where there is plenty of wood, so if you have lots of trees, rotting tree stumps, woodpiles, wooden sleepers, furniture or plant holders, it’s best to either remove them or ensure that they are kept away from your house at the very least.

Prevent all sources of moisture

Effective termite prevention includes addressing damp environments which help them to maintain enough moisture in their thin outer shells to survive. It also aids in their ability to digest the tough cellulose fibres in the wood that they consume. This means that you’re more likely to attract termites if you have a pond, bird baths or leaky plumbing, or live near a large body of water.

Also check that rooms in your home with higher humidity are properly ventilated, and that the soil on your property is well drained.

Termite inspections

Because termites are difficult to spot, the only way to know whether or not you have them is with a termite inspection. Fully equipped with the latest in termite detecting tools, Allstate’s licensed termite inspectors will thoroughly check all outdoor and indoor areas for even the most subtlest signs of termite activity.

If you have a termite outbreak, Allstate offers several modern and effective treatments that can be tailored to your individual situation.

Before applying any treatments, our first step in every termite management plan is to always conduct a thorough assessment to get to the source of the outbreak.

Then, to reduce the active population, we use the following termite treatments

Premise termiticide spray

Applied directly to soil in designated treatment zones, this non-repellent spray contains a targeted active ingredient called imidacloprid, which acts powerfully to repel termites. It is commonly used in areas which are known to have active termites.

Sentricon Always Active bait stations

For long term termite protection, a Sentricon barrier around the perimeter of your building has been shown to be highly effective. Discreetly installed underground at every 3 metres, Sentricon bait stations contain hexaflumuron, which disrupts the termite life cycle.