How To Get Rid of Rats

Finding rats in your home can be worrying! Rats can often carry disease and infections, so it's important to remove them as safely and as quickly as you can!

The quickest and safest way to get rid of rats from your home or business is by using a professional pest control company who are equipped with the tools and knowledge to deal with your problem.

How do I know if I have Rats?

Rats are shy creatures and tend to stay well hidden but they can leave behind clues to their presence. Look out for the following:

Rat Droppings - droppings are usually dark brown and pellet shaped - like a grain of rice.
Nesting Materials - such as chewed up paper and packaging.
Bad Odours - An unpleasant urine small is common.
Gnawing Marks - Rats need to chew so you may see bite marks in plastic and wires.
Smear Marks - if you have a heavy infestation you may see black smear marks along walls.
Sounds - Rats scuffle along and you will often hear them gnawing or walking in roof spaces and under floors.

What does a professional treatment include?

Professionals Pest Controllers are trained to look for clues when dealing with Rats and know how they behave. A professional treatment could take up to an hour or more and the technician may need to come back to fully control the problem. Here's what a professional treatment should include:

A thorough survey of your home or business to pin point the source of the infestation.
Depending on the level of infestation your technician may deploy a number of measures to target rats such as, this could include placing traps and poisons if safe to do so.
If the rats are entering your home or business by way of a hole the technician may be able to block is using specialist materials that prevent rats from chewing through.

What steps can I take now?

We know having a rat infestation can be distressing and there are steps you can take now to help deal with the problem. Always use caution when taking any measures yourself.

Remove Food Sources - Rats typically come in doors to search for food and a place to shelter. Keep foods in sealed plastic containers to prevent their access.
Clean Under Cupboards - Food and crumbs under kitchen cupboards and appliances could provide a food source for rodents, be sure to throughly clean up any crumbs or debris.
Bird Food - Often Rats are attracted to bird feed, it's highly nutritious and they love fat balls. Keep any bird seed in sealed plastic containers and store it high up so its difficult for rodents to get to.
Contact a Professional - Taking the steps above will only go so far to help the problem. Always seek professional advice from a Pest Control Professional who can treat the problem.