Have you ever turned the lights on in your garage or attic and seen a pair of beady eyes and whiskers staring back at you? If so, you probably had a rodent problem. One of the most common rodents we see in South Portland is rats, specifically the roof rat or the Norway rat.
Rats may look cute, but they are dangerous and destructive. They also require professional South Portland pest control to treat. If you are worried about rats in your home or want to ensure you have measures in place to keep your home rat-free, call us today at Big Blue Bug Solutions and let us get to work for you.
All Of The Hiding Spots Rats Will Find In Your Home
Rats in South Portland are an intelligent species. They will do whatever they need to survive, including making their habitat in a variety of places where they can find food, water, and shelter. Depending on the rat species in your home, you will find them in different places.
Roof rats live in colonies. As their name suggests, they prefer to nest in the elevated parts of the building, like rafters, attics, and gaps in your roof. They also live in voids underneath buildings. If they live outside, roof rats prefer to hide inside wood or debris piles or in areas with dense vegetation and fruit trees.
Norway rats are also social animals. Inside homes, Norway rats nest in basements using debris piles. Outside they commonly burrow into riverbanks, woodpiles, under concrete slabs, and along railroad tracks.
Yes! Rats can be a challenging pest to handle on your own. One reason is that they can be difficult to find. Seeing a live rat in your home is rare and usually a sign that you have a significant rat infestation.
They are also difficult to eliminate because of how quickly they breed. On average, one female rat can give birth to between 40 and 48 pups yearly. A few rats in your home can grow exponentially over the course of several months, meaning if you don't get every rat out of your home, the population will continue to grow.
Five Ways To Deter Rats From Your Property
A couple of rats can turn into an infestation quickly. This rapid reproduction, combined with the issues rats can cause, means you want to keep them out of your house and off your property. Here are five rat prevention tips to help:
- Seal cracks and crevices using caulk or steel wool
- Keep trees and shrubs trimmed away from your roof and walls
- Limit food attractants by storing garbage in sealed trash cans and picking up any fruit that falls in your yard
- Eliminate areas of moisture around your home
- Clean up areas of clutter in your home and remove outdoor harborage areas like piles of construction and landscape debris
Limiting rats' access to food, water, and shelter, will keep rats away from your South Portland home.
Professional Rodent Control For South Portland
While there are steps you can take on your own to prevent rats, the best solution is to partner with us for professional rodent control. We can inspect your home for signs of rodents, identify areas where rodents are hiding, and quickly eliminate a rodent infestation on your property. We will also work with you to perform rodent exclusion services that keep rats out of your home, so you can go to the garage at night without worrying about running into a rat colony.