While there are many common pest species in Modesto, California, such as ants and spiders, one of the most frequent home-invading pests is the rat. Along with mice, these rodents often get into area homes and businesses in search of food and shelter.
Rats have a rather dependent relationship with humans as they’ve adapted over the years to live alongside us in both rural and urban areas. Rats are very adept at living in all kinds of dwellings, and they have learned that close proximity to humans means food, water, and a roof over their heads.
However, because rats are dangerous pests, it’s important to know how to identify and prevent them. To start with, you can identify rats over mice by looking at a few factors. Rats have shorter, scalier tails while mice have longer, furry ones. Rats also have a blunter face shape than mice and are larger when fully grown. They range in color from light brownish-grey to black depending on the species.
Just How Much Of A Problem Are Rats?
Rats are one of the most frustrating pest problems you could have because they pose many health risks and also cause property damage.
First of all, rats, just like other rodents, need to constantly gnaw in order to keep their teeth from growing too long. They will chew through all kinds of materials from drywall and plastic to wires and pipes. This can lead to a lot of money in repairs and also pose safety risks.
However, the even bigger concern with rats is the health issues they can inflict. Rats can spread diseases including rat-bite fever and salmonellosis. They can also carry fleas and other parasites which can spread even more illnesses. And, if that weren’t enough, their droppings, urine, and feces can lead to allergic reactions and even respiratory issues.
Five Ways To Prevent Rats
Because rats are so good at living with humans, they can be difficult to completely prevent. They can also fit through holes the size of a quarter making it hard to seal up all entry points. However, there are still some steps you can take to deter them, such as:
Store pet food indoors.
Make sure to keep kitchen spaces cleaned. Start by doing dirty dishes often and wiping up food and drink spills immediately.
Cover all garbage cans with secure lids and take out the trash often. Also, make sure to clean up trash and other debris around your yard.
Reduce entry points by repairing broken screens and installing door sweeps.
Use a dehumidifier and fix leaky plumbing to lower humidity around your property as moisture can draw rats and other pests in.
What Should You Do If You Already Have Rats?
While taking preventive steps can help keep rats and other rodents away, they are nearly impossible to eradicate using DIY measures. Instead, let the experts at Insect IQ, Inc. take care of the infestation.
Professional pest control is the safest and most effective way to remove rodent problems, and we also provide ongoing services to ensure you won’t deal with rats again in the future.
We even make it simple to get started by offering free phone estimates. Give us a call today to learn more.
