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How to manage rats
A rat infestation is a major problem. These rodents are ugly, dirty, and disease-ridden, so you definitely don’t want them in your home, where they will be close to you, your family, and your friends.
So, if you want to rid your home of rats, you need to act quickly and with care.
Allstate Pest Control has helped thousands of customers in the Adelaide Area prevente their rat problems. We’re going to share our top tips for rat control. Let’s dive in!
What are rats?
Rats are medium-sized rodents that originated in southeast Asia. They spread throughout the world, with more than 60 different species found worldwide.
These pests can be large or small, depending on the species. The largest ones can weigh up to 2 kg and are the size of a large cat, but most Australian pest rats are between 75 grams and 500 grams. Rats range in colour, including black, brown, grey, and white.
Regardless of the species, all rats can be prevented in similar ways – by removing access to food, water, and shelter, the three things they need to survive and thrive.
What do rats eat?
Rats can eat almost anything, including human food and pet food, so they are especially drawn to household rubbish, where we dispose of our leftovers. But they will even eat smaller animals like insects, mice, and lizards.
Can rats live without water?
Rats will drink water in drains, pet dishes, or condensation on walls, but they can survive without water for a month or more. This is because rats eat enough food to get the moisture they need.
Where do rats shelter?
Outside, rats live in weeds, lawns, shrubs, woodpiles, and other vegetation. Inside homes, rats will take cover under furniture, behind walls, or in other dark corners of the house. Rats are also famous for building nests in and under appliances.
How quickly do rats reproduce?
Female rats can mate 500 times in just six hours! Brown rats can give birth to 22 babies at once, and with gestation periods of less than a month, you can see how populations grow quickly and get out of control.
Do rats cause disease?
The presence of rats on your property is a health and safety threat.
These rodents can carry a variety of diseases, and it’s been recently discovered that rats can transmit Hepatitis E. They can also carry typhus, leptospirosis, and other diseases and bring other disease-spreading pests into your home.
What are the signs of a rat infestation?
If you are unsure if you have a rat infestation in your home, look for the following signs:
Strange smells & sounds
Rats are very loud and are often responsible for gnawing, scratching, and thumping in wall cavities and roofs. They also give off a musty odour. These signs are subtle, but they’re a strong indication that rodents are nearby.
Droppings & smears
Rats leave faeces behind as they move through your home. You may notice small, dark, pellet-shaped faeces along rat pathways.
Since rats have poor eyesight, they also create and maintain established routes, usually against walls. You can sometimes see grease smears and smudges along these routes, particularly along baseboards.
Footprints
If you suspect rats are in your home, sprinkle some baking soda on the floor and check for fresh tracks in the morning.
Damage
Rats can cause a lot of damage to your home. They eat through electrical wires, gnaw on furniture, storage containers and paper, and contaminate food left out on the counter. They leave droppings and urine throughout your home that can spread disease.
How can you tell if there’s a rat in your walls?
If you hear strange noises in your walls, scurrying sounds, or find droppings behind your stove, it’s a good sign that rats are around.
Call a pest management company if you see disturbed insulation or textiles in your home. You may have a rat problem. Other signs include damaged ductwork and nests made from insulation, fabric, or paper. These nests are usually found in warm, sheltered places, where the rats are unlikely to be disturbed.
What damage do rats cause?
The damage that rats cause in the home can be as bad as a flood or fire.
Damaging infestations can happen to anyone. These creatures can invade even a clean, tidy person’s home. If a rat problem is left untreated, there will be structural damage to the house and its contents — from insulation and wiring to furniture, flooring, and cabinetry.
A common sign of rat damage is faulty lighting or power inside the home, where rats have partially or wholly chewed through the wiring in the roof or walls.
Even if you can’t see any rats, they may still be there, causing damage. Fortunately, there are several ways to manage rats.
How to stop rats in the home?
Inspect the home
You’re not going to manage rats unless you figure out where they’re coming from. So, the first step is to inspect your home.
Make a note of any obvious entry points, such as damaged drains, cracks in your garage door, gaps around vents, and spaces in your foundation.
Keep an eye out for rat activity inside the house. Rats can enter through vents, drains, appliance lines, and other potential access points.
You’ll know where they are getting in when you see the damage they cause. After that, you can seal those points and set traps to catch them.
Seal the gaps
You may think that a rat needs a large entry point to get into your house, but they can squeeze through any hole that you can stick two fingers through. For this reason, make sure that there are no gaps in your walls.
Fill these gaps with wire wool, metal kick plates, cement, or caulk for lasting results. Check them every month to make sure they’re well-maintained.
Tip: If you can’t identify entry points, contact Allstate Pest Control for an expert analysis of your property. We service homes and businesses in the Adelaide CBD and surrounding suburbs.
Clean up
Rats tend to hide in places where no one can see them. To prevente them, you should manage their hiding places.
You can remove and prevent rats by:
- Cleaning up the clutter in and around your home
- Moving objects away from the walls
- Keeping all rubbish and food in closed bins
- Promptly cleaning up any spills
- Keeping your pipes and drains clean
Keep your garden tidy
If a rat feels exposed, it will go elsewhere. Keep your lawn and garden trimmed and clutter-free. Clean up piles of wood or leaves, and close and lock storage sheds.
Also, make sure that rats do not have access to food outside your home. Clean up fallen fruits or vegetables and ensure that pet or bird food is stored in sealed containers and cleaned up frequently.
Call in the birds
Owls can help you with your rat problem. Build a water feature like a birdbath and create a nesting box to attract them. It’s a great way to manage not just rats but also other pests in your backyard.
Tip: Don’t attract birds by putting out birdseed. There’s already food enough for the rats, and birdseed may attract more rats to your yard.
How do you manage rats?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a permanent way to manage rodents, but there are steps you can take to prevent an infestation, including:
- Keeping outdoor areas maintained
- Sealing entry points around the home
- Store food in sealed containers
- Clean and maintain drains and pipes
Once you have an infestation, you may be tempted to try DIY methods. There are many different baits available that can attract rats. Once they have eaten the bait, they will die from the poison.
However, it is important to note that many store-bought baits, traps, and poisons may not be worth the cost. Often, the rodents will just avoid the baits. But these rat control methods can also be dangerous when used without expert knowledge.
Products involving poison as well as traps, like spring-loaded snap traps, can harm children and pets. Professional pest controllers use safe and effective treatments to prevente rats and should come with a warranty.
How do I keep rats out of my home?
Rat populations can grow quickly if they are not being controlled. So, it’s important to prevent rats nesting and breeding in and around your house.
You can prevent a rat infestation in your home through exclusion methods, including:
- Cutting back trees and bushes that may provide cover and water
- Keeping your home and yard clean and free of food sources (e.g. dropped fruit, rubbish, pet food)
- Securing rubbish bins
- Fill holes, cracks, and gaps in walls and roof
- Keeping your house tidy
- Adopt a cat
- Call a professional pest controller
Can rats hurt my pets?
Rats can pose a risk in homes with pets because they can cause:
- Flea and other pest infestations
- Ringworm
- Leptospirosis
- Toxoplasmosis
- Secondary poisoning from rat baits
Can you get sick from rats?
Rodents, including rats and mice, can cause illness. When they come into contact with a disease, they will then bring it into your home. The effect of rats on humans can vary, from allergies to food poisoning to fatal diseases.
Another way rats can make you sick is through their droppings, which can contain various pathogens, so it’s essential to remove droppings safely. It’s impossible to determine how likely you are to get sick, but it’s always better to be safe.
So, if you need to dispose of rat droppings, you should:
- Ventilate the area
- Wear gloves, a mask, and goggles
- Use disposable paper towels to collect the droppings and seal them in a plastic bag
- Dispose of the droppings in an outdoor bin
- Disinfect all surfaces in the area – do not vacuum or sweep, as this can release pathogens into the air
- Dispose of your PPE appropriately, then wash your hands with disinfectant hand wash
Does Adelaide have a rat problem?
Rats are found throughout Australia, in every city, including Adelaide. As our population increases and housing becomes denser, the population of rats has also increased.
It’s likely that rats will always be a problem in Adelaide, so it’s important to prevent them and control them in your home.
Are rats common in Australia?
The extent of the rat infestation in Australia is somewhat unclear, owing to the difficulty of estimating rat densities. But some regions in Australia have higher reported infestations of rats and rat-related diseases.
Australia has been infested with rats for at least 150 years, and they are now a significant problem for the local ecosystem. Rats have been seen in Sydney Harbour since the early 1800s, and the infestation is widespread.
Consider trapping
Rat trapping is the most efficient way to prevente rats. If you want to manage rats, but you don’t want to use poison, trap them. To make sure other animals don’t get into the traps, put them in a box or under a milk crate.
When setting your own traps, be sure to use plenty of them. Place them in high-traffic areas. The best bait is peanut butter because it’s cheap and attractive to rats.
Alternatively, try baiting with unsalted seeds, bananas, or apples. If you’re not comfortable setting the traps yourself, contact a professional pest management team to do it for you.
Use natural deterrent methods
Rats have a keen sense of smell and hate strong odours. Once you identify their entry point, you can sprinkle strong-smelling peppermint oil or ground cloves.
Pepper spray is another irritant that may deter these pests. The spray can make rats nauseous and discourage them from coming back in.
Use dry ice
If you want to manage rats but don’t want to poison them, there’s a simple solution: carbon dioxide.
Carbon dioxide is a gas that, when inhaled, puts the rat to sleep and kills it. For best results, place the dry ice in the burrows where they live. Wear protective gear when handling dry ice because it can burn your skin.
Use baits and poisons outside
Chemical bait is a useful option that can be placed directly in the rats’ path. If you choose this option, make sure to put it far enough away from the house, as rats will drag the bait back inside and scatter it around.
Poison is also powerful, so do not put it inside the house. If you do, rats will eat it and may die inside, which will be dangerous for you and any pets.
When using baits or positions, you must carefully follow all the label directions. You must keep rat bait in a fully enclosed bait station, where kids and pets can’t reach it. Because of the many regulations surrounding the use of rat poison, be sure to understand the laws in your area.
Tip: If you prefer not to handle chemicals yourself, you should work with a company like Allstate Pest Control, who are licensed and experienced in handling pest control chemicals.
Call a professional pest management company
If you suspect a rat infestation, it’s essential to call a professional exterminator. These pests will come back if they’re not well prevented or properly prevented, and a pest controller can give you advice to make sure they don’t return.
If you have rats hiding in your home, a pest management company will find them. A professional exterminator has the tools and knowledge to locate the rats you don’t see, as well as their nesting areas.
An experienced technician will find and prevente all entry points. Then, they will locate their nests and food cache areas. Finally, they will manage the rats with safe and proven methods without damaging your home or causing you harm. All treatments should be safe for you, your family, and the local environment.
But pest control services are not just effective inside the home. Pest technicians can also help you manage rat populations outdoors. Allstate Pest Control uses eco-friendly methods to control outdoor rat populations, such as trapping and deterrents.
Most importantly, a professional service can give you tailored preventative advice, so you don’t waste time on strategies that won’t work for you.
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