Rat Control from Rentokil

Rats in the home or yard

Rats in your home are a serious pest problem, even if they are not in your living areas. Any rat problem inside the home should be treated immediately because they can cause significant damage to wiring and have even been known to chew through floor joists and walls. They can also cause damage to your homes insulation.

Rats in the yard and outside can also present tremendous risk, particularly since those areas are visited by children and pets. Rats can also significantly undermine hill sides, retaining walls and other similar structures through their burrowing activity.

A crucial step in eliminating rats in your home is to remove whatever is attracting them to your home in the first place including food, water, and shelter.

Signs of Rats

Rats are nocturnal and usually hide from humans, so the typical signs of a rat problem in the home are:

• Scratching noises in walls or under the floor as rats scurry around.
  
• Droppings – rats leave dark, tapered droppings about 3/8" - 9/16" long.
  
• Distinctive smell – rats leave an ammonia-like smell that will be particularly strong in enclosed areas such as under cupboards.
  
• Damage – rats have teeth that grow continuously and gnaw on wood and plastic to keep them trim. Rats can even cause fires by chewing through cables.
  
• Ripped food packaging – rats will tear open food which may leave teeth marks.
  
• Nests – rats build nests in warm, hidden places using shredded material such as newspaper and fabrics. Nests will often contain young rats.
  
• Burrows - In gardens, rats will dig burrows especially in compost heaps or under sheds. They will also build nests under garden decking.

How to Rat Proof Your Home

The first defence against a rat infestation is to secure your home. Young rats can get through very tiny openings, so it is important to seal holes and fit weather-stripping around exterior doors.

Beyond that, you can make your home less attractive to rats by:

• Storing food in plastic or metal containers and keeping household garbage in closed bins and do not put meat into compost heaps.
  
• Checking that all drain pipes are in good working order.
  
• Trim vegetation away from your home.
  
• Eliminate clutter and items like firewood next to your home.

Professional Rat Control

Although many homeowners struggle with do it yourself rat control remedies the results are often less than satisfactory. Small problems can develop into large ones and this is when many people seek out the services of a pest control professional.

Rentokil technicians are skilled, experienced professionals – they are state certified licensed applicators and are required to participate in regular training programs to maintain their expertise. They understand the habits of each species and use that knowledge when developing a control program for your home. They also have respect for you, your home, your family and your time.

At Rentokil Pest Control, we pride ourselves on fast, responsive service every day. If you would like further advice or to arrange an inspection call us on 1300 805 087 or click here to contact your local branch.