How Rat Removal Services Work
August 3rd, 2020
Rats are a common rodent in Southwest Florida. They love the warm weather as much as we do and will take any opportunity to invade your property if you are not cautious. Whether they are brown rats or palm rats, they will quickly reproduce and become a problem for you.
How to Identify Rats in Your Property
There are many signs that point to a rat infestation, however, you have to be very attentive to catch these as rats are nocturnal animals. Here are some of the signs that you have rats in your home:
- The most obvious: You spot a rat on your property
- There are rat droppings near your home, especially around your trash or your pet’s food.
- You hear scratching sounds in your attic and mostly at night.
- There are nests in hidden areas of your home.
- You spot chewed wires or marks of teeth on wood.
- You spot teeth marks on fallen fruit on your property.
- There are signs of burrows in your yard.
If you spot any of these, we highly recommend you contact a professional rat removal company before rats take over your property and create damage.
How Effective Rat Removal Services Work
Once you have recognized you have a rat infestation and hire a rat removal services company, there are a couple of steps the professional will follow to ensure effective removal and prevention.
Inspection
The first step to eliminating any rodents is to identify and confirm that you do have them on your property.
In an inspection, a professional will determine where the rats are congregating and setting up their nests. This is crucial to the rat removal process since it will show the rats’ trails. Inspections also reveal where they are feeding and the access points they have in your property.
There is a variety of equipment that can be used to spot rats if needed. Among the most well-known are:
- UV light source: It can be used to find trails of urine.
- Fluorescent Tracking Power: It attaches to rats and can be seen under UV lights to observe rats’ movements.
Sealing & Prevention
Simply eliminating rats will not solve your problem if you have access points in your home that can be invaded by other rats. To prevent recurrent infestation, all holes should be covered or at least filled with wire mesh, metal flashing, or any durable material that cannot be chewed through.
Some of the most common access points are:
- Holes on garage doors
- Holes on door frames leading outside the home
- Holes on windows
- Pipes
- Cracked foundations
- Roof vents and junctions
Make sure you take action in eliminating food sources, so you keep them from coming back. Some common food sources are pet food, food left uncovered overnight, and easily accessible trash.
Trapping & Elimination
After the problem with rats is identified and prevention methods are taken, then it is time for the professional to trap and eliminate them.
- Setting up traps or baits. This method can take up to a couple of weeks since rats are very smart and cautious by nature.
- Using rodenticides. When traps or baits are not enough, professionals will apply chemicals throughout your property. This method is mainly used when the rat population is large.
Clean Up
After the rats are eliminated, there needs to be proper sanitation to prevent bacteria and diseases from spreading. Professionals will use protective gear and disinfectant chemicals to handle the treated area. A thorough cleanup is the last step to rat removal.
Seeing Signs of Rats On Your Property?
If you have realized you have a rodent problem, give us a call today! The sooner you eliminate rats, the less damage they will cause. At Alford Wildlife & Pest Management, we have certified professionals with the knowledge and equipment to get rid of rats.
Even if you have not yet experienced any signs, we highly recommend our effective exclusion services to future avoid an infestation in this favorable rodent weather.
Call us today for a free quote.
