Author: Kurt Treftz, Cascade Pest Control
Rats depend on humans for survival. They eat our waste, take up residence in our homes, and often spend time colonizing many of the hidden places in our cities. Most people would rather not see them at all, yet they prove almost impossible to eliminate. It has been that way for centuries, and remains true in the modern day.
If you find a place where a great deal of humans live in one location, you have likely found a popular place for rats, too. So while residents may not love that Seattle ranked number 9 in the nation in number of rats in a recent pest control survey, rats are not a surprising problem for a large, fast-growing city like Seattle.
How to Keep Your Home from Becoming a Target for Rats
While rats aren’t truly taking over the Seattle region, they’re definitely an issue and they’re here to stay. A growing region attracts more residents, who create more of the waste that rats rely upon for survival. New structures are created, both above ground and below, including the sewers that rats are fond of calling home. Rats thrive in cities by making use of the environment around them, and readily adapting when that environment changes.
It may be difficult to keep rats out of a city, but you can take some important steps toward keeping rats and rodents out of your home. Rats will look for any entry point, both at ground level and on upper floors of the home. Reducing the risk of a rat infestation is best accomplished with a multi-faceted approach, as outlined by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife:
- Prevent Access to Food – Rats will eat anything that humans will, along with some things that humans would never touch. Keep garbage in sealed containers, don’t leave pet food where rats can reach it, and keep rats from gaining access to bird feeders. Rats will also eat animal droppings, so always clean up after pets.
- Seal Structures – Rats will search high and low for entry points into a home. They are agile, adept at leaping, and can fit into very tight spaces, so it is important to eliminate entry points at all levels. Seal vents, doors, pipes, and any other part of the home where inside meets outside. A rodent control expert can help you identify access points in more difficult to reach places, like crawlspaces, attics, and rooftops.
- Stop Rats from Climbing – In addition to all of the abilities mentioned above, rats are very skilled climbers. This allows them to reach parts of the structure that would otherwise seem inaccessible, and find hidden access points to get inside. Remove vines, take away objects that could serve as “ladders,” and keep trees trimmed away from the home/utility lines.
Hire Experienced Rat Control Experts
If rats do make it inside, they can cause damage to structure and insulation, while posing serious sanitary issues. Dealing with a rat problem requires a thorough review of the home, which is best accomplished by an experienced rat control expert. Spotting the points of access, travel paths, and patterns of the rats are all key to removing an infestation. A rodent control expert can also help you eliminate the openings rats use to access your home, and help keep rats from coming back in the future.
At Cascade Pest Control, we do our part to make sure that the Seattle area isn’t going to be overtaken by rats anytime soon, with environmentally friendly rodent control solutions. Our experienced rat control team can help you eliminate a rat infestation, and take the steps necessary to protect your home in the future.
