Need Rodent Control in White House or a Town Nearby? Let Smash Pest Control Rid Your Property of Rats
Rats are intelligent and persistent pests. Their ability to gnaw through just about any material makes it harder to keep them out of businesses and homes. Protecting your property from these cunning rodents requires a multi-pronged approach. The Smash Pest Control team is here to guide you through every step of the process, from the initial inspection to animal exclusion services geared toward preventing future infestations.
Are There Different Types of Rats?
The two most common rats found in Middle Tennessee are the Norway rat and the roof rat. Norway rats are likely to be found at ground level and generally have burrows underground. Norway rats, also referred to as brown rats, are longer and have more bulk. They’re more likely to seek shelter in basements, crawl spaces, and ground-level areas with access to water.
Roof rats prefer to be up high and like to nest in attics and voids. Although they don’t have the size of Norway rats, they make up for it with athleticism. They’re excellent climbers who can get onto your property by scaling a wall – especially brick and stone surfaces – and by jumping onto roofs from overhanging tree branches.
Is having one type of rat in your dwelling or company better than the other? Not at all. Both species are destructive and capable of spreading harmful diseases. Since they can reproduce so rapidly, a small problem can quickly explode and leave your property overrun by critters.
What Are the Signs of a Rat Infestation?
The only upside to a rat infestation is that they don’t cover their tracks well and will leave behind plenty of evidence that they’ve moved in. Keep an eye out for the following:
- Droppings around your property. Rat droppings are a hallmark sign that they’re lurking around. Droppings are typically dark and small – about the size of a grain of rice. You might see more droppings around food sources, under sinks, in cabinets, and along walls where rats travel.
- Gnaw marks. Here’s a fun rat fact for you: rats have strong teeth that never stop growing. They have to gnaw on objects to keep their teeth trimmed to a manageable length. You may come across gnaw marks around potential entry points, along baseboards, and on furniture.
- Grease marks along walls and floors. Rats have poor eyesight. Once they’ve found a relatively safe travel path, they’ll take that same route over and over again. Their oily fur can leave smudge marks along those well-traveled walls, baseboards, and other surfaces as they scurry around your property.
- Shredded paper and other materials. Rats don’t have much regard for the materials in your home when it’s time to build their nests. They prefer to use shredded paper, fabric, and insulation to construct their dens. Check secluded areas like attics, basements, or crawl spaces for discarded bits of materials.
- You hear noises at night. Rats are night owls. Keep an ear perked up to see if you can hear scratching, scampering, or squeaking noises coming from walls, ceilings, or floors after the sun sets.
- You smell new odors. Not only are rats loud at night, but they’re also smelly. Rats can give off a musky or ammonia-like odor because of their urine, droppings, and nesting materials. The odor may be more potent in confined spaces or areas where rats are most active.
Are Rats Dangerous?
In general, rats rarely show aggression towards humans (although, we don’t recommend cornering one). The threat rats pose is mostly indirect. They can transmit disease-causing organisms, most notably those that cause salmonellosis and bacterial food poisoning when food has been infected by their feces. Other rat-borne diseases include the plague, murine typhus, rat-bite fever, rickettsialpox, and hantavirus.
Rat droppings, dander, and fur can trigger allergies in some individuals. People with asthma and other upper respiratory illnesses have an increased risk of an allergic reaction. Rats are also a common host for parasites such as fleas, ticks, and mites, which can infest businesses and homes.
Can I Get Rid of Rats by Myself?
An attempt at DIY rat control can actually make your rat problem worse. Treating visible rats is only one step in a long process. If you miss an entry point or a nesting area, the issue will continue. If you have rats living in your walls or attic, or you’re dealing with Norway rats that have created underground burrows, it will be much harder to eliminate the problem. For these reasons, we tend to advise against trying to tackle a rat infestation on your own.
With that said, you are a big part of the solution. Our rat control efforts won’t work without the cooperation of homeowners and business owners. To improve the chances of successfully getting rid of rats, clean up any excess clutter, keep food stored in sealed plastic bins, and get a garbage can or dumpster with a lid.
Defend Your Domain Against Rats
Don’t risk damage to your home or your family’s health from these intrusive, destructive pests. Contact Smash Pest Control today. We’re standing by and ready to get to work taking on your rat problem. Request your free estimate online or give us a call at 615-551-4029.
Nobody wants to have to deal with fleas, See our Pest Guide for more information.