Rats are dangerous pests because they don’t just consume your resources and destroy your stuff, as they also spread diseases. For this reason alone, you should do your best to keep your home free of rats.
Here are the simplest tips you can follow to ensure your home remains rat-free.
1. Block all possible passageways
Prevention is always better than cure. One of the ways to prevent a rat infestation in your home is to block all possible passageways where they can get inside your house. This is especially true during the cold season, where rats are finding ways to escape the cold and seek warmth.
Give particular attention to your home’s foundation and walls. Inspect them properly and look for cracks. Even cracks as small as coins may be enough for these rodents to get through.
Use the appropriate materials to cover cracks and holes, such as cement or steel wool.
2. Keep doors closed
Don’t be so worked up with your home’s foundation and walls that you forget the most obvious passageways – your doors.
Open doors are essentially open invitations for rats to invade your home. Make it a habit to keep your doors closed.
For example, if you have just arrived home and parked your car in the garage, make sure to properly close the garage door immediately. If you need to fetch something at your front yard even for just a moment, close the front door behind you.
This habit is very important, especially at night, where rats are more likely to invade houses.
3. Cover garbage bins properly
If you really want to keep your home free of rats, you should tightly seal your garbage bins. This is particularly true for garbage bins that are easily accessible for rats, such as those found in your garage or those outside in close proximity to your doors.
Garbage bins are flowing with resources in the perspective of rats. If rats can get resources in or near your home, they are more likely to come back, or worse, stay.
4. Maintain shrubs and other greens outside your home
Grasses, shrubs, and trees are perfect hiding spots for rats until they finally see an opportunity to invade your home.
So, it’s best to maintain the greens outside your home if you want to keep your home free of rats. You don’t want rats hiding near you, ready to strike if given the chance.
If they have nowhere to hide near you, they will have less opportunities to invade your home. After all, they are animals that don’t want to be seen that often.
5. Remove possible sources of water outside your home
Do you have a bowl-shaped cavity in your front yard or garden? This crater can be filled up with water and provide a valuable resource for rats in your neighborhood. As said earlier, you don’t want rats to get their needs near or in your house. They are likely to come back or even stay.
Make sure you remove all possible sources of water in close proximity to your house.
6. Place baits, poisons, and traps outside your home
Another way to keep your home free of rats is through the use of baits, poisons, and traps. Make sure to place these outside your home where you can see them. This way, you will easily see whether your home is attracting rats by checking if there are changes in these baits, poisons, and traps.
You don’t want baits, poisons, and traps inside your home. They can be very dangerous. For example, rats can spread the poisons inside your home, and this can be very problematic, especially if you have children.
But when placing these things outside, make sure that they are strategically placed so that innocent animals such as pets don’t become unsuspecting victims.
7. Use specifically designed traps inside your home
You can also place traps inside your home. But to make sure that your home remains safe for you, your children, and pets, use traps that are specifically designed for rats.
For example, you can use cage traps and place them on spots where rats can pass. Some cage traps don’t hurt their victims, so even if small pets get caught, it won’t be an issue. Also, some cage traps are not even big enough to catch small pets.
8. Make pet food inaccessible
Speaking of pets, they can really be invitations for rats in your home. This is because rats may think that pet food is easily available in your home. You can change this perception by storing your pet food inside airtight containers, not in bags and cartons where they can easily be infiltrated and consumed by pests.
9. Store food in sealed containers
The thought of a free meal is what really makes rats thrive inside people’s homes. If you remove this thought from rats, there will be no incentive in staying in your home and they will end up leaving.
It’s not just pet food rats are after. They are also after the food that you and your family consume. Make sure that all kinds of foods are stored properly in containers. You can also put them on places that are not very accessible to rats, such as closed kitchen cabinets, shelves, and refrigerators.
10. Keep your house clean, especially the kitchen
Make sure that there is no leftover food all over your house. Leftover food can mostly be found in the kitchen, so give particularly attention to that part of your house.
Your floors may have breadcrumbs. Your dining table may have spilled sauces. Your counter top may have random pieces of food scraps.
These leftover foods are enough to sustain rats. Keep your home free of rats by also keeping it from leftovers.
Keep your home free of rats with these tips
Rats can get into your home if your home is accessible. It is worse if your home has shrubs where rats can hide before they can find the opportunity to infiltrate.
Make sure you are not providing resources to rats both outside and inside of your home, so you don’t attract these pests and they will see your home as inaccessible and unattractive.
Follow these tips and your home will be free of these pests.