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Rat Control: How to Deter Rats
Discovering rats in your home or business can be very distressing. Fortunately, there are ways you can exercise rat control and prevent an infestation.
Proofing your home to deny rats entry and removing easy access to food and water can really make a difference. Rats need easy and consistent access to a water source, even though they only drink between 15 - 60ml per day. They will eat almost anything available, but they do prefer to eat small amounts of a variety of different foods.
Rat Prevention Tips
See our rat control tips below on practical ways you can help to prevent a problem:
- Keep foodstuffs in metal or glass containers with tight fitting lids.
- Tidy inside the house and around the garden - less clutter means less places to hide.
- Place outdoor rubbish bags in metal bins with securely fitted lids to stop them feeding from contents.
- Clean up pet food and bird seed debris, and store pet food in robust containers with fitted lids - preferably above ground level.
- Keep gardens free from debris. If you have a compost heap don’t include organic food waste, as this will attract them.
If you have already spotted signs of rats, such as droppings, prevention may already be too late.
Contact Rentokil today to arrange a survey to check for signs of rats.
By proofing your home, you will help to make it seem less attractive to rodents. Rats will make the most of any opportunity to enter your home in the search for shelter and food.
While black rats are good climbers and will happily inhabit lofts, brown rats can climb but tend to burrow more. They are very adept at swimming in sewers and drain systems and both species will gnaw at gaps to enlarge them enough for easy entry.
Proofing Your Home
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Entrances - fit strips to the bottom of doors and weather-stripping around exterior doors as a form of rat control. Young rats can squeeze through small gaps under doorways and will also use cat flaps to enter. They will enlarge gaps by gnawing to enter homes via integral garages.
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Gaps in exterior walls - fill holes or small openings (around utility cables or pipe work) with stainless steel wire wool and caulking or concrete. Steel or aluminium plating can be used. Rats can jump, so check up to a height of about 1.2m.
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Roofs - repair roof damage and use wire mesh to seal gaps. To exercise rat control, trim vegetation away from your home. Rats climb along electrical cables or use overhanging branches to get into loft spaces and attics through gaps in broken roof tiles or under eaves.
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Drains and sewer pipes - keep toilet seat lids closed. Rats have been known to swim up damaged sewer pipes and get round u-bends in toilets. They will also use drain pipes and drainage outlets. Use tightly fitting metal grates or screens to cover drains, especially in basement areas. Check that all drain pipes are in good working order.
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Eliminate clutter and items like firewood next to your home.
Thinking about going the DIY route?
If you are thinking to make use of DIY rat poison, baits and traps, be sure to approach with caution and ensure you carefully read all warning labels and instructions.
If you are noticing a rat problem, taking matters into your own hands will not always prove effective as an infestation can quickly escalate and will require the help of professionals. DIY rodent control products can also prove health risks if children or pets come into contact with these products.
Find out more about DIY advice and points to take into consideration>
Need Professional Rat Control?
Regular pest control is often the most reliable form of prevention. Rat bait stations professionally managed by Rentokil is a trusted rat deterrent and is safe to use even in locations where children or pets are present.
Your local qualified Rentokil technician can provide the most suitable treatments to a rat problem identified in your home or business. Professional services are often the most reliable way to guarantee long-term solution to a pest problem.
Do you have a problem with rats? Call us on +27875502498