The Key To Getting Rid Of A Rat Infestation On Your West Chester Property

How To Tell If It's Rats Infesting Your Home

Often homeowners notice signs of rats or a rodent infestation, but it can be hard to tell what species has made its way into your home. Rats and mice share many similar traits, and while they are both common invaders of West Chester homes, you are unlikely to have both mice and rats at the same time. Rats hunt mice and are seldom seen in the same location. There are some ways to tell whether you have rats or mice in your home, including:

• Droppings: Mice droppings are small at only 1/4 inch in length with blunt ends, while rat droppings are 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long with pointy ends.
• Size: Rats are larger in general, with their bodies growing between six and nine inches in length, while mice only grow to be three to four inches in length.
• Features: Rat tails are scaly, while mouse tails are fur covered. Rats have ears that are smaller in proportion to their bodies compared to more prominent mouse ears. 

Other signs of rodents include gnaw marks, damaged food packaging, scratching sounds in the walls, rub marks, and nests. 

Rats In Your Home Is A Serious Health Hazard

Rats are a considerable threat to your health. Some of the diseases rats carry and spread include leptospirosis, rat-bite fever, tularemia, and salmonellosis. In addition to diseases, these pests will contaminate food and food preparation areas. 

But it's not just the rats themselves that you need to worry about. Rodents are frequently infested by parasites like fleas, ticks, and mites. When they infest your home, they bring their own diseases, but they are also likely to spread parasites to you, your family, or your pets, leaving you vulnerable to both parasites and the diseases they spread. 

How Rats Find Their Way Into Your Home

So you hear rats inside your walls, but how did they get there? There are a variety of ways that rats can get into your home, including: 

• Cracks and crevices: For as large as they are, rats can fit in through some surprisingly small spaces. All they need is a hole the size of a quarter to squeeze through, and they can often get inside through gaps and cracks in exterior walls or foundation or around windows and doors.
• Utilities: Another way rats will find their way into homes is around places where utilities enter the home.
• Roofs: Roof rats, or black rats, often enter homes from above through loose shingles or chimneys. 
• Burrowing: Norway rats, or brown rats, are less likely to climb but are skilled at burrowing and can often find entrances on the ground floor or basement levels of homes. 
• Chewing: If rats can't find a way inside, they are likely to simply chew a hole in your siding and force their way through. 

There are a number of ways rats can find their way into your home, and there's one sure way to keep them out – working with the rodent control experts at Masters Touch Pest Solutions. 

The Most Effective Way To Get Rid Of Rats On Your Property

If you have rats on your West Chester property, it's important to get rid of them as quickly as possible. The best way to get rid of rats is with professional help from Masters Touch Pest Solutions. We can get rid of your existing infestation and help you make sure rats do not return to your West Chester property. For rat pest control near you, call the local experts at Masters Touch Pest Solutions.