Learn What Rats Do To Survive

Rats are small animals that account for the bigger percentage of rodents. They are very adaptive and are found in every country in the world. In Canada, the bigger rat population is found in urban areas because that's where food and water are readily available.

But what do rats eat and where do they live? Read this article to get an indebt preview of what rats do to survive.

What are the Signs Of A Rat Infestation In Your Home?

Rodents are one of the easiest pests to identify. Whenever you see these signs, you are certainly battling a rat infestation.

Rodent droppings

Rats have a very large surface area to volume ratio therefore, rats eat little amounts of food regularly. For this reason, you will likely see lots of fresh and dry rat poop all over the house.

The amount of rat poop in your house depends on the rat population. And since rats are excellent climbers, these pellet-like droppings will be visible in nearly all hiding places like drawers, wardrobes, and inside old appliances and cupboards. Typically, rats love staying in every spot where you store food. However, with roof rats, noticing rat poop can be difficult because they spend most of their time inside the roof.

Rat Nests

Wild rats and rodents prefer staying in very warm areas around the house. Since they are very intelligent animals, the rats use pieces of paper, dry leaves and grass, and other soft materials to build their nests.

Rats use the nest to nurse their young ones and store food. The nests are often found in the darkest hideouts, where prey and humans cannot easily notice them. You should contact rat control services to get rid of rats whenever you see the nests.

Rat bites on food and food packages

Like other pests, rats are always on the move in search of food sources and shelter. Rats are very destructive animals. It is believed that rats destroy ten times the amount of food they eat.

When you buy pet food, cereals or any other food, you will find rat bites on the edges of the packaging or food spills on the flow. These are clear signs that you are battling with rat populations inside your home. The simple remedy for this problem is proper storage of food in places rats cannot access it. Using rat poisons and traps also helps eliminate these destructive rodents.

Stale Odor

Rats are invasive pests that live in family units and establish colonies in places where they feel safe. If that haven with enough food is your home, you will likely face a serious rat problem.

When these pests build nests, their survival instincts prompt them to store as much as possible. And since rats eat garbage, the smell that emanates from the nest is terrible. Before taking any action, you should first determine where they are nesting. This can be difficult because their flexible skeletons enable them to gain access to the tightest spots in the house.

For professional rat removal, don't hesitate to get in touch with our experienced personnel.

How long do rats live?

The lifespan of rats varies depending on a number of factors habitat, availability of food sources, and prevailing weather conditions.

The fact that some rats live in captivity while other rats live in the wild also contributes to the quality and length of life. However, on average, their lifespan is between 2-3 years.

Wild rats are more susceptible to many natural factors like predators, lack of food sources, and proper shelter. For this reason, on average, wild rats have a shorter life span (1-2 years)

On the contrary, pet rats live for up to 6 years. This is because they are well taken care of by the owners. Pet rats receive professional medical care when they are sick, which is not the case with wild rats. Pet rats have a certain food source whether they are in rural or urban areas.

This quality of life gives them a longer and happier life span.

What Kind of Damage Do Rats Cause?

Rats are among the most destructive pests. Their sharp teeth can tear into everything, including electrical wires, gadgets, furniture, and other stored materials.

when rats enter buildings, their presence is felt immediately. Because of their short gestational period, rats can multiply very fast.

Having massive rat populations in your home can be very dangerous since their strong teeth can even tear into soft concrete. Rats can eat plastic pipes, which leads to leakages.

The most notorious species are roof rats because they damage electrical wires. Damaging the electrical cords can lead to short circuits, which can cause a power surge and, in a worst-case scenario, a house fire.

Moreover, homeowners incur huge losses on the amount of food destroyed. When building their nests, mice can also damage your important documents to make shredded paper, which is a vital nesting material.

What do rats eat?

Rats prefer to eat nuts, vegetables, cereals, and other materials that are soft. Unlike other animals, rats have a complex digestive system that enables them to digest nearly everything.

To deter rats, you should not leave food uncovered. And since rats are excellent climbers, storing food in cabins is not the solution instead, buying storage materials with rat-proofing abilities. This will cut the food source from the rat populations, therefore, keeping rats away.

What are the Signs Of Rats In Your Walls?

Humans are never bothered by what goes on behind the walls of their homes. However, this changes immediately you are faced with a rat problem. Here are some signs that show you are battling rat infestation in your walls.

• squicking sound of rats on the wall
• Soft footsteps on the wall, especially at night
• Rat poop at the base of the wall
• Rub marks on the wall. The rub marks are a result of rats ferrying food for their young ones or storage.
• Insulation and electrical wiring problems

How To Get Rid Of Rats In The House Fast

Clean up Debris Piles

Rats prefer places with lots of debris because it provides a perfect hideout and enough materials for those seeking shelter. Cleaning up the debris is an effective way to get rid of rats and other rodents.

Remove Food Sources

what is keeping rats in your home is readily available food. To control rats, buy food storage containers that rats cannot tear into. You can consider using jars made from glass because even with their strong teeth, they cannot break the glass.

Keep a pet cat

Using cats to prevent rats is a natural but effective rat control method that you can use to get rid of rats. Cats eat rat species like black rats and brown rats. Even the mere smell of cats keeps the rats away!

Use Dry Ice

Dry ice is basically dry carbon dioxide. This method is perfect for eliminating rats residing in gnawed holes where you cannot set snap traps. This method suffocates the rats. When the dry ice melts, it becomes carbon dioxide which diffuses into the rats' nests, thus killing them.

You must be cautious when using dry ice because it can be deadly if the gas from melted dry ice diffuses into your house. Moreover, dry ice cannot be sued to eliminate roof rats.

Set Traps

Another simple rat control method is setting rat traps around their trails and hideouts. This method works well with roof rats because they are hard to access. Once the rat traps are triggered, you can dispose the death rat and set the trap again.

Use Baits & Poisons

For Norway rats and other black rats that are often found outside the house use baits and poison. If you use poison for roof rats, you risk having dead rats on the roof, and that's terrible. The pungent smell of a dead rat is unbearable and poses serious health risks.

Contact A Professional Pest Management Company

Handling rat poisons can sometimes be risky if you are not a professional. Moreover, regardless of the rat control measure you employ, you cannot fully get rid of rats in your house. Our professionals at secret pest control & wildlife removal will not only help you get rid of rats but also help you put in place measures to prevent such occurrences.

How To Get Rid Of Rats Outside Your Home

Trim All Trees And Shrubs

Rodents and other small animals love nesting in bushes. Clearing the bushes will discourage them from sitting base around your house. Rats can also climb trees and build their nests there. If you want to keep trees in your compound, ensure they are trimmed with no weeds beneath them. This will discourage rats from setting bases on the trees around the compound.

Rat facts you need to know

How fast do rats breed?

Rats have a very fast growth rate and can attain sexual maturity four weeks after birth. When they attain sexual maturity, female rats give birth after 21 to 35 days, depending on the rat species. For instance, black rats and push rats give birth after 23 days, while Eastern wood rat gives birth after 35 days.

How many rats are in a litter?

Rats sire up to 12 litters yearly, with each set having 12 pups. This means a family of two rats can multiply into their thousands in a year. This is why you should employ proper rat control measures before the situation gets out of hand.

How do rats get in your house?

Even with their poor eyesight, rats are very good climbers. They can climb the walls of your house and get into the roof. They can also easily gain access if you have small openings around the house. Even tiny gnawed holes below the door frames are enough to let these unwanted rodents into your house.

Why do you get rats in your house?

Rats seeking shelter is a survival instinct. Like all other animals, rats are always searching for food, shelter, and water.

Ensure that you store food properly to avoid attracting rats into your home. If you leave food carelessly, they will definitely be your visitors. You can store cereals, pet food and other rodent delicacies in glass jars that rodents and other rats cannot bite through.

When constructing your house, you can also seek advice from pest control professionals to advise you adequately on the best rat-proofing techniques you can use to control rats.

Are rats dangerous? What diseases do rats carry?

Millions of homes in Canada, especially in most urban areas, have rats and other rodents. Their presence is often characterized by rat damage throughout the house and emotional torture.

The health risks that huge rat populations pose are bigger than most people think. Most rat species carry serious diseases that, if not treated, can even lead to death. But how do rats spread disease?

1. Exposure to rat poop and other waste. This often happens when you handle the waste without protective gear.
2. Rat bites. When an infected rat bites you, visit the doctor immediately.

Here is a list of diseases that rats carry

Hantavirus

Hantavirus is a very deadly disease that has no treatment or vaccine as of yet. Rat species that carry hantavirus include white-footed mice and rice rats.

Symptoms include fever, general body weakness, thing and hip muscle pain, diarrhea, and vomiting.

LYMPHOCYTIC CHORIOMENINGITIS VIRUS (LCMV)

The common house mice species eg roof rats are the hosts and carriers of LCMV. This disease is treatable and occurs in phases. Mild symptoms like vomiting and headaches characterize the initial phase. If not treated, the second phase symptoms are more severe. Infected persons can experience meningitis which can lead to death. To avoid falling victim to such diseases, employ proper rat control measures to prevent the entry of rats into your house.

Plague

If you are a Christian, then you must know how dangerous a plague is. It almost wiped out a whole generation during the middle ages. Now imagine having carriers of the same disease in your home!

This disease is caused by 'Yersinia Pestis', a bacteria often found in rats. Plague is one of the most deadly rat diseases because it can be transmitted from rats to humans by fleas. And since there are many types of plagues, the symptoms depend on the one you are infected with. You should visit your doctor for prompt medical treatment if you feel unwell.

Salmonella

Many rat species are carriers of salmonella. This bacteria thrives in the digestive system of rats and can be transmitted to humans if they come to contact with waste or eat any contaminated foods.

To avoid falling victim, ensure proper storage of food. You should also don protective clothing when clearing rat dirt.

If you have nausea, abdominal pains, diarrhea, and fever, book an appointment with your doctor.

Rat bite fever

As the name suggests, rat bite fever is a disease you can contract when a rat bites you. You might be wondering how can a rat bite me! Even a scratch is enough to get you infected.

Symptoms of rat bite fever include skin rashes, muscle and joint pain, headaches, and vomiting.

Tularemia

Tuleria is a rat disease caused by a bacteria called Francisella Tularenis, which stays host in rodents. You can contract this disease by coming to contact with infected animals. Other insects like ticks and flies that bite can also transmit this disease. This disease can be deadly when treated, but a dose of antibiotics is sufficient to save your life.