Rats adjust quickly to their surroundings and usually live wherever people live. This is how they gain access to food such as leftover grains, fruits and vegetables. For this reason, they prefer to settle around private homes and restaurants, but they can also nest inside abandoned buildings and filthy basements.
If there are rats in your neighborhood, it is advisable that you take some steps to check if they can enter your home. It is important to know that rats can move freely about the neighborhood, going in and out of different houses and buildings. So, if your neighbor has rats and he is about to take some rat control measures, the rats are likely to move. The bad news is that they will probably try to enter a property nearby – namely yours – unless you take precautionary measures as well!
How rats can enter buildings – common and shocking ways
Rats can enter buildings in numerous ways. Regardless of their size, they can squeeze through small openings in walls where wires and pipes are installed. All that it takes is a small opening (less than an inch wide!) and they magically appear where you don’t want them. They can even squeeze through holes or wall cracks that are as small as a dime.
But, rats are not all about squeezing through holes – they are also great at digging. If they sense an old and shallow house foundation, they can dig their way through and get inside your home.
Rats are great swimmers, too! They can swim through pipes, approach floor drains and easily enter buildings. One of the most unusual ways in which rats enter buildings is through a toilet bowl. Here is an example of how rats can get inside your property, without using any wall cracks or holes – just by swimming and climbing.
- Being good swimmers, rats can keep moving until they sense an opening at the end of a pipe. For this reason, it is always good to ensure you keep the toilet lid closed. If you leave it open, they will sense the opening and reach it without a problem.
- Once out of the toilet, rats can easily move toward the wall where the electrical cables are installed. This can cause you a lot of trouble, since rats are well known for gnawing cables and damaging electrical wires. The cables and wires can become exposed and cause electrocution and fire.
- If they avoid gnawing the electrical cables, rats are likely to use them to climb up the wall and approach the ceiling. Then, they find a crack in the wall or gnaw a shallow ceiling foundation in order to get on the roof. Once they get to the roof, they will find a nice, cozy place to stay and nest.
Another shocking way that rats can enter a building is through a vent. If there is a hole in the vent, rats can just get inside the hole and – voilà! In case you had your vent net changed, as part of your rat control routine, this may come as a huge surprise to you. That’s why we should take a closer look at the details.
Do you know what is the one thing that rats love doing more than anything else? Yes, it’s chewing. So, unless your new vent net is firm and solid, it may actually serve as an invitation for rats to chew on it. Once they make an opening wide enough to go through, they will use it and enter your property.
Prevention is the key
Speaking of rats, prevention is crucial. Therefore, keeping rats out of your property is the main thing you should focus on. Once they get inside your house or building and begin nesting, it won’t be long before they start causing chaos. They will start climbing up the walls, swimming through the pipes and contaminating your property. That is why you want to draw the line and call our rat control professionals before the situation spirals out of control.
In order to keep your property “rat free”, there are a few things you can do by yourself. It is always good to seal up all the entry points. Aside from the usual rat control tips, it is advisable to keep the toilet lid closed all the time. Check and change all the vent nets and seal all the cracks inside the house walls. Make sure you check and repair the outside roof joints, the chimney and siding, etc.
It is crucial to stop the air flow, because rats can sense it. And when they do, they will chew, climb and swim their way inside your home. Before you know it, these furry little guests will be coming into your house, and you will find any future rat control much more challenging, if not impossible.
Remember that it is essential to take various steps to ensure that rats do not decide to stay in your home for good. These steps include limiting their food source by taking out the garbage often or keeping it covered in heavy plastic/metal trash cans. Try not to leave any food leftovers anywhere in the house. The next step is removing their shelter by cleaning and sealing all of the possible rat entry holes.
Rat-proof your property – hire rat control professionals
One thing that can be said for sure is that rat control is not easy. Doing the job correctly may even be impossible if you don’t hire the professionals who have years of experience in dealing with rats and rat infestations. Rats are constantly looking for ways to enter buildings. Some of those ways are common, while some can be really surprising. Nevertheless, our rat control professionals can keep your property rat free and uncontaminated at all times.