As Tukwila homeowners, we understand the grind of taking care of our properties. It’s a constant battle between the elements and a busy schedule. Sometimes, there just isn’t enough time to check off every box. While the need for tough choices and prioritizing is one of the hard truths of life, here’s another hard truth: if you’re neglecting the need for rat prevention on your property, it can cost you in more ways than one. Since rats are always looking to survive on scraps, crumbs, and trash left behind by humans, they’re a pretty common home invader in Tukwila. However, just because they’re common doesn’t mean they’re harmless.
Are Rats A Dangerous Home Invader?
Seeing a rat in your home can be very frightening. First of all, these are pretty large rodents, measuring up to ten inches long, without even including their long, skinny tails. Typically dark brown to black in color, these shadowy home invaders are equipped with large front teeth that may look painful, but it’s not you yourself that is at risk of a bite. Rather, it’s everything else in your home (and your home itself).
You see, these front teeth are constantly growing, so rats are constantly wanting to chew and shave them down. Whatever ends up in front of them could wind up getting gnawed down to a nub. That’s why homeowners who suffer severe rat infestations often report various items being chewed up in their attics and basements: everything from stored linens to shoes, laundry, electrical wiring, AC ducts, and more.
Furthermore, your stored items are the least of your problems, unfortunately. As rats scour through our garbage and waste in sewers, dumpsters, and landfills, they’ll pick up a variety of harmful bacteria that they can carry with them as they invade homes. Once inside, rats can contaminate your stored food and your food preparation areas with transferred bacteria or their toxic feces, often resulting in serious diseases in both children and adults.
How Can You Get Them Out?
Now, let’s go back to the sharp teeth. These front incisors are a lot more powerful than most people would think, and they actually allow rats to create more ways to invade your house. If you’ve got cracks or holes in your foundation, they can actually chew through most materials like wood, drywall, or vinyl siding to create a larger gap. Plus, their bodies are pretty flexible: for larger rodents, they’re very good at squeezing through tight spaces.
The combination of flexibility and sharp teeth make rats nearly impossible to keep out, so you’re far better off focusing on limiting their attraction to your house. You can prevent rats from taking an interest in your property by:
- Decluttering your lawn and basement
- Storing your outdoor trash in heavy-duty cans
- Cleaning your house regularly
- Storing pet food and human food properly
While these methods can be effective, they are not always guaranteed to work. Homeowners who do these activities may still find themselves with a few rats in their house. At that point, the worst thing you could do is to try and get rid of them yourself. Since rats are very prolific, they’ll reproduce quickly within your walls. Many homeowners that try to use traps and poison fail to keep pace with the number of rats being born within their walls, so the infestation grows over time.
With all of the health dangers and home damage on the line, why would you want to mess around with inconsistent results? Why not go with an eradication method that works the first time, for good? The most effective and safest way to handle a rat infestation is to contact the professionals: Alta Pest Control.
