Rats are destructive, disease carrying rodents that can invade your home. They can rapidly reproduce, causing more and more damage to your home if not addressed quickly. If you only have a rat or two in your home today, a rat infestation is just around the corner. Taking prevention steps is the best way to avoid a rat infestation all together to keep your home and your family safe. For Monterey homeowners, following a few key tips will reduce the chances of rats getting into your home and deciding to stay.
Prevention tips
Stopping a rat infestation is essential to maintain a healthy and pest-free living environment. A few steps you can take to prevent rats from infesting your home or property include:
- Secure Trash and Compost Bins: Trash and old food are the biggest attractants for rats. Use tightly sealed trash cans and compost bins to prevent rats from accessing food sources. If a rat finds a regular food source, they will nest near it, putting your rat problem on a whole new level.
- Seal Entry Points: Even though some rats can be quite large, they can still squeeze through very small openings. Inspect the exterior of your home for gaps, cracks, and holes. Make necessary repairs to seal up these areas. You can also use steel wool in places to prevent rats from getting through.
- Install Door Sweeps: Install door sweeps on exterior doors to prevent rats from entering through gaps at the bottom of doors. Rats can flatten their bodies. To be careful, if you can see daylight underneath the door, treat it as if a rat can enter through it.
- Trim Vegetation and Trees: Rats can use branches to access your roof and find entry points. Keep all vegetation trimmed and away from your roof and the exterior walls of your home.
- Store Food Properly: Keep food stored in airtight containers, especially grains, cereals, and pet food. Rats are attracted to food sources and can easily chew through food packaging.
- Clean Up Outdoor Areas: Keep outdoor areas clean and free of debris, especially food scraps and pet waste. Rats can make their nests inside leaf piles or other types of debris that is allowed to build up.
- Elevate Firewood and Storage: Store firewood, lumber, and other items off the ground and away from walls to create barriers that rats can’t easily climb.
- Clean the inside of your home regularly: Keep your home clean and clutter-free. Always clean up crumbs, spills, and food residue immediately. Be sure to vacuum regularly to eliminate potential nesting materials for rats.
- Inspect and Maintain Plumbing: Regularly inspect and repair plumbing leaks, as rats are attracted to water sources. Check for damage around plumbing pipes and repair any gaps.
- Use Motion-Activated Lighting: Install motion-activated lighting around your home and yard to discourage rats from approaching.
If you follow these tips but somehow still find evidence of rats in or around your home, call our pest control team at Target Pest Control today.
