Bradenton Property Owner’s Handy Guide To Rat Control

As a property owner, you should be aware of the possible pests you may encounter, including rats. A rat infestation can cause extreme damage and harm to your home and bring many health risks. To protect your home or business, knowing the signs and solutions of a rat infestation in Bradenton is essential. Here is a Bradenton rat control guide to help you.

Bradenton Rat Control Guide

How To Tell If You Have A Rat Problem

First, you should know how to identify correctly identify a rat. There are several species of rats that you may find on your property, including the roof rat, Norway rat, and the wood rat. Although there may be differences between appearance and behavior between the types of rats, these common traits will help you distinguish rats from other rodents you may encounter:

• Size: Most rats, when fully grown, will be about seven to nine inches in length
• Color: Variations of white, gray, and brown
• Snout: Blunt
• Tail: Long, thick, and hairless

Rats have specific behaviors that can help identify if it’s a rat you’re dealing with if you can’t get a glimpse of the rodent. One of these behaviors is how active they are. Rats can jump and climb to reach what they seek: food, water, and shelter materials. This activity level also includes the desire/need to burrow. You may find materials from your home littered on the floor or countertops where a rat has collected materials to create their burrow.

A rat’s teeth constantly grow, so they must gnaw and chew to keep them worn down. You may find gnawing marks on furniture, molding, or any other hard material that provides an excellent chewing post for rodents.

Rat Dependency Of Humans

Rats are clever and sneaky. They are also cautious, allowing them to move about your home or commercial facility. They are drawn to homes and businesses because they are looking for their basic survival needs. In the wild, there is no such thing as easy access to food. Rats have to work for each meal.

However, food is abundant in your home or business and often not adequately stored, especially when it becomes waste. Rats have developed a dependency on humans, much like raccoons and other garbage-feeding animals. Humans make it easy for these critters to get a meal and even to provide a warm place to sleep without the danger of becoming a meal for another animal. The attics of our homes and businesses provide rats and other rodents with safe harborage.  

Destruction & Disease Caused By Rats

Given a chance, rats will tear your property apart. Rats reproduce quuickly, making your property more susceptible to damage the longer an infestation goes unchecked. Their gnawing and chewing habits can cause significant structural damage to your property, as they will chew through wood beams, drywall, insulation, pipes, and wiring.

Rats will also bring disease onto your property. These diseases include:

• Rat-bite fever
• Salmonellosis
• Hantavirus
• Plague

How To Prevent A Rat Infestation

To prevent a rat infestation, you first want to seal any holes that could provide an access point. This process is called a rodent exclusion.  This may prove to be a difficult task because a rat can slip through a hole the size of your thumb, and as previously mentioned, rats can chew through a multitude of materials. So, hiring a professional rodent control company like Rodent Solutions is your best bet.  

One of the best ways to prevent rats from entering your property is to properly store all possible food and water sources. This includes making sure garbage bins have lids and fixing any leaking pipes. If you make your property undesirable to rats, they will be less likely to chew their way in.

How To Handle A Rat Infestation

The most effective and safest way to handle a rat infestation is to contact employee the professional rodent extermination services at Rodent Solutions. Rodent Solutions uses an effective five-step plan to guarantee your Bradenton, FL home is pest-free. For your health and the structure of your property, don’t delay in rectifying a rat infestation. Set up an inspection with Rodent Solutions today!