Deterring Rats The Easy Way In Southern Maine

There is nothing easy about deterring rats, but the methods that effectively deter them are things you're probably already doing. The secret is to apply a little more elbow grease. So, while not particularly easy, you're not going to have to learn things you don't already know. Another way these deterrents are easy is that you don't have to keep checking on them. You do the work and put it out of your mind. Rat control products require monitoring, clean-up, and specialized knowledge to deploy them correctly. The worst part about applying control products is that when they fail, you may not realize it. This will allow rats to continue to impact your health and damage your property. There are also undesirable outcomes to improper rat control, like having dead rats inside your walls. Sorry. It is gross to think about, but not knowing that improper baiting can lead to this issue could have you dealing with it up close and personal.

It is always best to have a licensed professional deploy bait, traps, and other control products. Our goal today is to equip you with ways to address rats without using products that can fail to address your problem. Join us as we look at how to uncover a rat infestation, how to deter them with natural methods, and what professionals do to keep rats away. If you have a rat problem and need immediate help, jump to our contact page for rat pest control in Southern ME. You don't have to read an article about rat control to find an answer to your problem. 

Typical Rat Hiding Spots

There are many places rats will hide in your yard before they get into your home. Removing these hiding places or blocking access to them can deter rat activity and potentially prevent an infestation. You may already address some of these hiding spots as you take care of yard work and structural repairs. Let's start with these.

• Remove yard clutter. Rats can hide in certain items that sit in your backyard. They also use yard clutter to help them navigate. Rats have poor eyesight and use their whiskers as one of the ways they explore the areas they encounter. An open yard with zero clutter will feel intimidating to a rat. 
• Trim landscaping. Rats like dense vegetation. We recommend removing weeds, unwanted grass, and other unnecessary vegetation from your landscaping. It is also essential to trim bushes and shrubs.  
• Remove leaves and organic debris. A rat can hide in a pile of leaves or work its way underneath organic debris. They also use these materials to help them navigate.
• Repair your shed. A common hiding place for rats is inside shed walls. Inspect your shed and make repairs if you can. You may also use expanding foam to seal openings or voids. While rats can chew through this material, they may not try. They are inclined to make small holes larger. 
• Seal your crawl space. If you have a crawl space under your home, you can bet that Norway rats will want to get into this space. They create ground burrows and a crawl space is a perfect location to nest when entering and exiting homes. Repair any holes or gaps that allow entry into your crawl space.
• Seal your cellar doors. If you have cellar doors that lead down into a cellar or basement, inspect the bottom where the two doors meet. This is a common entry point for rats. 

You will tackle many of these jobs as you maintain your home and property. Now, here are some hiding places you may never address with yard work and routine repairs.

• Firewood. Rats love wood. They'll get into voids inside a stack or pile of wood.
• Construction materials. When you stack plywood, studs, trusses, and other construction materials in your yard, rats get into them.
• Piles of junk. Norway rats like to establish burrows underneath piles of junk. Any junk will do. 
• Pallets. If you pile things on pallets, they can still attract rats. Wood pallets underneath lots of items will provide small voids for rats to hide inside.
• Block access to structural voids. The void underneath your shed, back deck, or exterior stairs can provide a nesting site for rats. Use fencing material or hardware cloth to keep rats out.

It isn't easy to stay on top of yard work, home repairs, and the work needed to remove hiding places rats use, but there is value in doing this hard work. The primary reason rats get into homes is that they first have a reason to come into yards.