Rat Control 101: A How-To For West Chester Homeowners

Habits And Behaviors Of Common Rats

Understanding the habits and behaviors of common rats is essential to eliminate them. In particular, rats have these habits and behaviors:

• Nesting: Rats build nests that often resemble loose balls of plant-based material.
• Leaving droppings: Rat droppings are over half an inch long, black, and shiny.
• Aggressiveness: If threatened, rats will attack.
• Leaving footprints: As rats scurry throughout your home at night, they might leave footprints by stepping in anything from flour to mud.
• Invading food containers: You must keep your food safely stored away from rats.
• Avoiding common traps: Store-bought traps are often ineffective with a rat infestation.

Learning about the habits and behaviors of common rats is not enough; you will also want to know more about the dangerous diseases they can spread and how they can damage property.

Rats Can Damage Property And Spread Dangerous Diseases

Rats can damage property in a variety of ways. First, to come indoors, rats need entry points. They will often use cracks in the structure of homes or windows and doors that are left open or do not close properly. But if needed, they can also chew through walls and create their entry points. Indoors, they will often gnaw on furniture as their teeth grow, but they will also chew through books or go through your belongings to gather materials and build their nests.

Some of the diseases that rats carry include leptospira, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, tularemia, and salmonella, and they cause outbreaks of the plague around the world. However, the risk is negligible in the United States. Rats can also spread fleas and ticks.

To avoid having a rat problem in your home, removing factors that attract these pests to your home is essential.

Removing Factors That Attract Rats To Your Home

To remove the factors that attract rats to your home, you must learn to spot them. Here are the primary factors you will need to pay attention to:

• Food: You might be inadvertently feeding them. Putting food away as soon as you get it in the house, cleaning your kitchen throughout the day, and cleaning spills as soon as they occur can prevent rats from coming into your home.
• Shelter: If something attracts rats indoors, you want to make it harder for them to come in, including fixing cracks in your foundation and walls and ensuring that rats cannot enter through the garage, basement, and attic.
• Water: Like all mammals, rats need water. You will want to remove sources of stagnant water from your yard, as well as fix any leaks that might be on your property.

Rat prevention is vital, but when removing factors that attract rats is not enough, the best thing to do is to consult with a pest control company to learn about treatment options.

The Safe And Effective Way To Get Rid Of A Rat Infestation

The best way to get rid of rats is to reach out to our team of professionals with many years of experience dealing with rodent problems. At Masters Touch Pest Solutions, we offer rat control in West Chester to residential and commercial properties. Contact us today to schedule an inspection, and we will show you why rats have invaded and what you can do about it, including sealing ground-level entry points. 

Rats are invasive, resilient, and reproduce quickly, but if you see signs of a rat infestation in your home, we can eliminate it safely and effectively. As a local and family-owned company, we strive to offer the best customer service experience and keep your children and pets safe.