Rats, as discussed here, can quickly turn a home into their own personal playground and wreak havoc while they’re at it. Many homeowners don’t even realize rats have made their way inside until they notice gnawed holes in the pantry or scratching sounds coming from within the walls. By the time rats are discovered, they’ve likely set up shop and figured out how to navigate your home.
Infestation Warning Signs
Rats don’t just gnaw on stored food – they’ll chew on just about anything to wear down their ever-growing teeth. From wood to plastic pipes to electrical wires, rats are relentless little chewers. If you suspect rats have set up shop inside your home, it’s important to contact professionals who provide rat control in Charleston as soon as possible.
Signs of rats:
- Droppings: You may notice small, dark droppings around your home, especially near walls and behind appliances.
- Chewed items: If you’ve noticed holes in boxes, chewing on wires or even chewing on the wood of your home, you may have a rat problem.
- Rub marks: Rats tend to follow the same paths throughout your home, which can leave behind rub marks along walls.
- Unusual noises: Scratching or other noises coming from within walls, crawlspaces, attics or ceilings may be a sign of rats.
- Messy nests: Rats will often use shredded paper, clothing or insulation to line their nests.
Entry Point Exclusion
Rats are quite the explorers and will happily make their way inside your home through broken vents, gaps around utilities and other openings. Once inside, rats will look for a safe place to make a nest and will continue to return to your home time and time again if conditions are still favorable. Rats can cause all sorts of damage once they’re inside your home, including:
- Destroyed insulation
- Urine and feces contamination
- Unpleasant odors
- Chewed-through electrical wires (which can pose a fire hazard – see details at https://www.safeopedia.com/definition/739/fire-hazards)
Rat exclusion services can help seal off common points of entry to keep rats (and other pests) from making their way back inside after rat removal services have been performed. Talk to our team about scheduling rat removal and exclusion services for your Charleston home today!
Inspection and Repairs
During the rat exclusion portion of your pest control service, we’ll take a close look at your home’s exterior and surrounding areas to identify any potential points of entry for rats. Once we’ve identified problem areas, we’ll repair or recommend repairs to help keep rats (and other pests) from making their way back inside your home. Common exclusion services may include:
- Filling in gaps around electrical and plumbing fixtures
- Repairing or replacing broken vents
- Adding screens to open areas
- Repairing gaps along the foundation or damaged trim
During your rat removal service, we’ll thoroughly inspect your home for any signs of rat activity and discuss our findings with you. Once we’ve identified problem areas, we’ll get to work getting rid of any pesky invaders. Once we’re confident your home is rat-free, we’ll discuss ways you can help keep rats from making their way back inside. If exclusion services are recommended, we’ll walk you through our options and help you decide which services are right for your home.
Ongoing Prevention
Household Prevention
- Keep your yard tidy. Remove any items that can harbor rats, such as piles of wood, brush piles, compost bins, etc. Keep bird feeders clean and consider using a feeder with a cage to prevent rats from having access to birdseed.
- Clean up any sources of standing water around your home’s exterior.
- Store firewood at least two feet off the ground and away from your home.
- Trim any tree branches or shrubs that overhang or come in contact with your home.
- Keep your trash cans sealed and place them away from your home when possible.
- Make sure all doors and windows seal tightly. Add door sweeps and weather stripping where necessary.
- Clean up any pet food before bedtime.
- Keep food scraps from accumulating in your kitchen sink overnight.
- Store pantry items in airtight containers.
- Reduce clutter and store items in sealed plastic bins as opposed to cardboard boxes.
- Keep crawlspaces, attics, and basements as clutter-free as possible. Store items in sealed plastic bins and off of the ground where possible.
- Around vents
- Along the roofline
- Around drain pipes
- Along the foundation
- Around utility lines
- Along gaps between siding and trim
Professional Help
While minor rat exclusion services, such as sealing cracks around windows and doors or replacing torn screens, can usually be tackled by homeowners, more extensive rat exclusion is best left to the professionals. This is especially true if rats are getting into hard-to-reach areas of your home, such as attics and crawlspaces. Signs that it’s time to call in the pros include:
Not sure if rats are the cause of the problems you’re noticing around your home? Give us a call! We’ll come out and take a look and let you know what we find.
Important Note: Never sweep or vacuum rat droppings. Doing so can release harmful toxins and bacteria into the air. Have a pest control professional handle any necessary clean-up after rats have been removed from your home.
