Rat Infestations - How Do You Know If You Have A Problem?

By: James C
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:21:11
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Rats, nothing will strike fear in a woman's heart (and many a man's heart) more than a rat in their home. It would seem like it would be easy to identify a rat problem but they can make themselves hard to detect. Sometimes you can not actually see the rats in your home. Even if you can not see them, there are several things that you can look for to identify a rat problem.

The first sign of a rat problem is noise. Rats will make scratching noises that can easily be heard from within walls and attics. Listen for their scratching and rustling noises after dusk when rats are most active. Next, look for rat droppings. You can usually find droppings around food sources like pet dishes. The droppings will be small, capsule shaped, black and glossy. You should also look for rat burrows and nests. You will find burrows in gardens and under places like compost piles. Look for nests around boxes, inside of drawers and near wood piles. A couple of other signs of a rat infestation are grease marks along beams and rafters (caused by a rats greasy fur) and gnawing marks on boxes and wiring. If you have any of these signs, you probably have a rat problem and should contact a professional exterminator.

If you do not have a rat problem, you should think about preventing them. Preventing them mainly involves keeping them from entering your home. To prevent an infestation, keep debris piles away from your home. Piles of debris can serve as homes for rats and mice. Also seal any entrances to your home that are larger than a quarter of an inch. Seal any holes you find with caulk or expanding foam and make sure all of your doors have good weather stripping in place. Following these simple steps should keep your home rat free.

James C operates the Pest Control Directory. Find information on all types of pests, insect and rodents including roaches, ants, termites, fleas, spiders and more.

Article source: Expert Articles

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