Rat Control 101: A Complete Guide For Property Owners In The Sacramento Region

October 26, 2023

Rats are highly unhygienic and difficult to deal with alone. Professional pest control in the Sacramento region provided by HomeShield Pest Control is here to help you defeat any scale of rat problem you’re dealing with.

Understanding Rat Behavior: Insights For Effective Rat Control

Rat behavior is essential to understand in order for rat control to be effective; understanding where rats eat and nest as well as when they scavenge is essential to finding their hiding places, eliminating rats at their nests, and ensuring that rat treatment solutions are effective in the long term.

Rats are opportunistic, and these critters won’t waste time infiltrating a property that has plenty of access to food, moisture, and sheltering spaces. Rats are nocturnal, so you may encounter them at night or in the early hours of the morning when they emerge from their hiding spots and scavenge for food around your property.

Signs that rats have moved onto your property include sightings of this pest, damaged food packaging, rat droppings spread throughout your property, unpleasant odors, and squeaking or rustling sounds coming from within the walls of your property.

Rat-Borne Diseases: Common Illnesses Transmitted By Rats

One of the biggest problems with a rat infestation around your property is the transmission of bacteria and pathogens by rats. These pests will track all manner of illnesses to your property, contaminating food storage and preparation areas like kitchen counters. Diseases rats carry include serious health risks such as hantavirus, leptospirosis, lymphocytic choriomeningitis, tularemia, and more.

Additionally, when rat droppings and urine dry up, the bacteria they contain become airborne. This results in a great transmission risk and further health issues when rats contaminate your property.

Rat Prevention Tips: Eliminating Attractants And Sealing Entry Points

Getting rid of rats takes a lot of effort, professional rodent control in the Sacramento region, and proactive prevention tips that eliminate attractants and seal potential rat entry points around your property.

The following tips will help you to make your property much less hospitable to rat infestations:

Seal gaps around your property’s foundation, windows, and doors, in addition to installing weatherstripping, window and door screens, and door sweeps to keep rats out of your home.
Fix broken roof tiles and place mesh screens over vented areas near attics and crawl spaces to fully rat-proof interior areas.
Clear outdoor areas of long grasses, overgrown foliage, piles of debris, and woodpiles, as these all offer rats easy hiding spots on your property.
Use trash cans with tight-fitting lids to keep rats from scavenging and cover up any outdoor compost piles.
Always store leftover food properly and make sure to clean up food and drink spills from anywhere on your property, as the odor will attract hungry rodents.
Fix leaks and drainage issues that might be contributing to moisture problems that thirsty rats may pursue on your property.

Contact HomeShield Pest Control today for more information about rat prevention.

Professional Rat Control Services: The Benefits Of Expertise

Rat removal is best left to the professionals, and if you’re having trouble with rats on your Sacramento region property, there’s no better team to call than HomeShield Pest Control. Our team will take their time understanding your rat control service needs and providing you with expert solutions that you can rely on.

With the help of HomeShield Pest Control, your property will be rat-free and returned to safety in no time, and you won’t have to rely on the hit-or-miss solutions of DIY rat control and store-bought solutions.