It’s never only one rat. Rats unfortunately live in large numbers and they look a lot alike. If you’ve been seeing a rat in or out of the house, it’s likely that there are several more nearby. It’s time to take action. Luckily, it is possible to get rid of the rats and stop them from coming back. For safe and effective rat removal, call Mouse Control Kitchener.
The most likely species of rat that you are seeing is the Norway rat. This rat is brown and measures somewhere between 20 and 40cm in length. Norway rats burrow underground and commonly get inside people’s houses by crawling through cracks in the foundation. If you’re seeing rats in the attic, you may have roof rats. This is a different species. The roof rat is smaller and blacker than the Norway rat, and it prefers to nest above ground. Both rats are social creatures and reproduce very quickly.
If you have spotted a rat in the house, take note of where you saw it and call an exterminator. Professionals have commercial-grade baits and traps that work better than those you can buy in stores. Their experience in rat removal is also invaluable. They will be able to find where the rats are nesting and where they came from. Once your home has been inspected, the technician you hired will lay traps around and set bait stations out in the yard. Bait stations are boxes that contain rat poison, specifically designed to target rats. He or she may also set up a one-way door to kick the pests out of the house. Since you only just started noticing rats, the problem should subside within about a month.
There are some other helpful things that you can do to help speed up the rat removal process. First, remove other sources of food in and around the home. In the yard, this includes bird seed, animal feces, fallen fruit, or pet food that you keep outdoors. Keep your trash cans lidded so their contents are inaccessible. Indoors, store your food in tightly sealed containers and keep your surfaces clean. Take the garbage out every night and be sure not to leave out any food on the counter. This will encourage the rats to consume the bait that has been laid out. Next, remove any clutter that is lying around the home and tidy up the yard. Trim tree branches away from the house, pull weeds, and mow the lawn on a regular basis. You will want to reduce the number of hiding spots that are available to rats.
Rat problems can very quickly get out of hand. Getting professional help now will save you the trouble of a full-blown infestation in a few months. Treating the problem may even save you money in the long run as professional services are more effective than DIY solutions. If you’re seeing a rat in the house, call Mouse Control Kitchener and we will send it packing. We guarantee our pest control services and offer pest-proofing, too, to stop anymore rats from coming. Call Pest Control Kitchener today.