It is common for rodents to make their way towards your property in search of food, water, and shelter. Just thinking about rats running inside the home will give anyone anxious shivers. You can identify a rat’s presence inside your home or outdoor space by keeping an eye out for gnawed cables, scratch marks, and rat feces. Rats are skilled climbers and can expertly sneak through cracks. Hence, remain aware of any scurrying sounds in your walls and ceilings.
Do not let their small size deceive you because they can wreak havoc inside your home. They will contaminate your food supply and spread numerous diseases. If you are confident your house is rodent infested, it is wise to contact a professional. Commercial pest control specialists are trained to keep these furry little nightmares away from you and your home.
Rat infestation is not a modern problem. Humans have historically fought off rodent invasion in various fashions. However, some methods now seem outdated and inhumane. For example, the commercially available rat poison makes the animal suffer three days and then ultimately painfully kills it. Setting up poisonous traps is also unsafe for your pets and accidental ingestion can lead to major health risks. Here are a few tips on how to get rid of rats without using poison:
Inspect Your Home
The first step requires a thorough inspection of your home. Check for any entry points through damaged drains, cracks in the foundation, or gaps around the vent and door. By identifying obvious access points, you can seal rats from entering your home or set traps to catch them.
Furthermore, you need to make the house uninteresting to rats. This step involves making food unavailable for your unwanted furry guests. Consider shopping metal containers to store food as rats cannot chew through them. You can also opt for reshelving your food supply so that rats are unable to reach, for instance, the fridge. Additionally, police your outdoor space and secure all food sources away from a rat’s ease of access. If you have a bird feeder, elevate it to a higher level and also install baffle barriers on the pole.
Recruit Natural Predators
If your rat infestation has gone out of control, why not bring a feline companion home. Cats are expert rodent hunters and will keep rats at bay. Rats are smart creatures and would avoid spaces where cats are. If you are not allergic, a cat will help you chase all the rodents away.
Moreover, owls are natural eradicators of rats. Like other birds of prey, owls can hunt up to 12 rodents per night in the late spring and early summer season. You can attract owls towards your residence by building an owl house in your yard. Commercially available owl nest boxes can work as an incentive for owls to reside in your yard.
Ultrasonic Pest Repellents
The auditory animal repellent is an effective chemical-free method to keep rodents away. Some handy ultrasonic repellents on the market operate on a frequency that repels pests but cannot be heard by humans. If there are no pets in the neighborhood, you can use this technique to evict rats from their burrows and shun them far away.
