Rats are an unwelcome intruder into your home. Rats are not only unsightly, but they can carry diseases and pose a health danger to the people you care about. They can also be quite destructive, eating their way through walls, insulation, and electrical wiring. If you want to regain your home, you’ll have to figure out how to carry out rats control. Because there are so many expert companies in the sector, rats control in Singapore is simple.
What Are Rats?
Rats are toothy rodents that originated in Asia and Australia and have since spread all over the world. There are more than 60 rat species, according to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS). Rats can be small – about 5 inches long – or enormous – approximately the size of a large housecat and weighing five pounds or more.
What Do Rats Need?
Rats are hard to control pests as they can live everywhere. They need three things to survive:
- Food
Rats are omnivores, which means they’ll eat anything. Although rats are mostly known for scavenging through rubbish and consuming food that has been left out, some rats may prey on small creatures such as birds and lizards. - Water
Rats can go for a month or more without drinking water directly. This is due to the fact that they receive adequate water through their diet. Rats can typically find adequate water in drains, pet dishes, or condensation in pipes or walls when they need to drink. - Shelter
Rats in the wild rely on weeds, grasses, and other plants for protection. Rats will seek safety in homes behind furniture, behind walls, or in dark, seldom-used areas. They’re also known for constructing nests within and beneath appliances.
Rats & Disease
Increasing rat populations places you at danger of catching diseases spread by rodents. Rats are notorious for carrying a wide range of diseases. They are Hepatitis E carriers who infect others with the virus. Many of them are infected with typhus. The bacteria Rickettsia typhi causes flea-borne (murine) typhus, according to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People contract flea-borne typhus by coming into contact with infected fleas.
4 Signs Of A Rat Infestation In Your Home
If you think your home might be infested with rats, look for these signs:
| Sign | Description |
|---|---|
| Strange Smells & Sounds | Rats give off a strong ammonia odour. They’re also extremely noisy, squeaking, scratching, and rustling their way through your house. The presence of either of these signals indicates that rats have taken up residence in the structure. |
| Droppings & Smears | As rats walk through your home, they leave droppings behind. Along main rat paths, you may detect small, dark pellet-shaped droppings. Rats construct and maintain known pathways around the walls because they have weak eyesight. They leave oil marks and smudges on the walls as they travel these courses. |
| Footprints | Examine a dusty, seldom-used corner of your house. Rats frequently leave foot and tail prints in the areas they visit. If you are not sure if rats are there, spread a thin layer of baking soda on the floor and look for fresh footprints the next morning. |
| Damage | Lastly, rats leave a trail of destruction in their wake. They may gnaw on electrical cords, furniture, storage containers, or paper, and devour food that has been left out on the counter. As they do so, they may leave droppings and urine all over your house, putting you at danger of contracting infections. |
What Kind Of Damage Can Rats Cause In The Home?
Rats may inflict a lot of damage to a house as such a small animal. Rats can spread infections and endanger the health of everyone in the house, as well as:
- Wood, drywall, insulation, and other construction elements may sustain structural damage.
- Chew through electrical wires, increasing the risk of fire and electrocution — rats are responsible for 20-25 percent of all house and structure fires in the United States each year.
- Burrow through cushions and rip out batting to ruin furniture.
- Damage all books, documents, and clothing.
- Make noise in your home that makes it tough to sleep or relax.
- They can be found in walls, under sinks, and even in equipment, such as the back of the refrigerator or the underside of the washer.
- While no rat damage is preferable, big rat populations in the home can quickly cause costly and lasting damage.
How To Get Rid Of Rats In The House Fast
1. Inspect The Home
To get rid of rats, you must first undertake a thorough home inspection to determine where they are coming from. Examine the vents, drains, appliance lines, and other potential access points inside the house. You can seal the entry points and set traps once you know where the rats are getting into the residence.
2. Seal The Gaps
Rats do not require a major entrance point to get access to your home. They can squeeze through any opening large enough to fit two fingers through. Seal any holes in your interior or external walls with this in mind. Fill these spaces with wire wool, metal kick plates, cement, or caulk for long-lasting solutions. Check them a few times monthly to ensure they’re in good working order.
3. Clean Up
Rats enjoy hiding places. Eliminating rat hiding spots is one of the most effective techniques to get rid of rats without using poison. Remove items off the walls and clean up the clutter in and around your home. Keep all trash and food in sealed containers, clean up spills quickly, and keep your pipes and drains clean.
4. Consider Trapping
Trapping has been the most efficient approach to exterminate rats as rodenticides and severe poisons have fallen out of favour or been outlawed (as they were this year in California), and it is what kills rats quickly and effectively. Trapping is a non-poisonous way to control rat populations. If you’re going to set your own traps, make sure you have lots of them and place them in high-activity areas. Bait can include peanut butter, unsalted seeds, bananas, or apples.
5. Use Natural Deterrent Methods
Consider these natural alternatives:
- To deter rats from entering the house in the first place, sprinkle peppermint oil, cayenne pepper, black pepper, or cloves around the perimeter. Apply your chosen substance liberally along the line where your foundation meets the ground.
- Sprinkle crushed pepper (or pepper spray) around rat holes and entrances. This will irritate the rats’ noses and airways, making them less likely to return to your home.
6. Call A Professional Pest Management Company
If you have rats in your walls, you should contact a professional pest control company in Singapore that provides pest control services that can help you get rid of them. They will assist you in identifying rat entry points, locating their nesting and food cache regions, and removing rats from your walls without causing more damage to your property. Professionals can also assist you in determining the source of the infestation and preventing future rat infestations.
As part of Singapore rodents control, rats control has become more important. Rats control in Singapore has also been made easier with the large number of companies who provide related services.