Rat infestations in Ontario’s cities
The problem with rats is that when you only spot one or two of them, chances are, you have an infestation on your hands. Rats multiply quickly and then once there’s a lot of them, they start being more in the open – that’s when we start to see them.
Are you not sure if you’re dealing with a rat infestation?
Definite Signs that You Have a Rat Infestation
1. Chewing on Food Packaging
Your house can become a huge food source for a family of rats. When the lights go out and you go to sleep, these pests will come out into your kitchen and have their way with your food. One of the easiest ways to spot a rat infestation is through bite marks on food packaging, and if they managed to get to your food, it will be half-eaten with bite marks all over.
2. Holes on Your Building
Rats have very strong teeth. They can chew through walls, wood, plastic, and a lot of other material. To make it easier to get in and out of their favourite spot in your house, they are known to chew through walls and various entry points on the roof. So, if you notice a hole in any one of these areas, you’ll know that rats have made it as their entry and exit point.
3. Rodent Feces
Rat feces are easily identifiable by their rice-like shape. If you notice rat feces around your attic, cupboards, drawers, then you definitely have an infestation on your hands.
Now that we’ve established that you have a rat infestation, what’s the best way to sort out it out?
How to Stop a Rat Infestation
The best way to deal with a rat infestation is to understand what’s attracting them to your property. What is making your property ideal for them to live in? If you can identify this attraction and eliminate it, this might help you to get rid of these pests.
1. Lock Away Your Food
All living beings need food and if your food supply is easily accessible, why should the rats leave? From outside your property, ensure that you have a tight-lid garbage can so that rats can’t easily slide in and find food. For insider your house, it’s best to always have your food either in your fridge, or kept in airtight containers. Any easily opened packages are just an unnecessary invitation to these pests.
Be careful of the pet food you also keep on your property. If you have household pets, ensure that their food is not kept outside the whole day and night.
2. Seal Holes on Your Property
Since rats have small bodies that they can use to squeeze through small openings, having a hole in your roof, your garage door, garbage can, attic, or anywhere else on your property will inevitably cause problems. Investigate your entire property and make sure that you seal all possible entrance points from rats. Since they have strong teeth, make sure that you seal these openings with strong material such as steel so that they can’t easily chew through it.
3. Contact a Pest Control Company
The problem with rats is that they’re very smart creatures. They’re small, quick, agile, and often very difficult to get rid of. Many people who suspect a rat infestation tend to get poison or humane traps. The problem with these is that they’ll help you get rid of some of the rats, but not all of them. And if they’re still some left on your property, in no time, their numbers will increase soon because of their reproductive rates. If you contact a pest control company, they’ll send a rat control Cambridge professional with years of experience who’ll be able to use his expertise to help you get rid of all of these rats from your property.