Author: Kurt Treftz, Cascade Pest Control
Rats are unfortunately a plague in every major city. The easy access to food and shelter that these areas provide create natural breeding grounds and homes for these rodents.
The excess of rats that Seattle experiences, however, is not decreasing or stagnant—it’s increasing. While no one reason can be tied to the root cause of this phenomena, we can provide further context for the rodent boom.
These increased rat problems in Seattle are costing home and business owners money with the amount of damage they inflict. Understanding how to prevent rats, mice, or rodents is key to preventing the spread of disease and structural-damage to your space.
Rodent Control Barriers: Why Rats in Seattle Continue to Thrive
Seattle and the surrounding Puget Sound region aren’t the most unlike other metropolitan hubs. Any area with a large, concentrated mass of people are going to attract rats and pests due to their reliance on our waste and proximity to thrive. You would think, though, that the copious rain and mild temperatures would do enough to abate these pests. We know this is not the case, since many people are experiencing infestations and rodent-caused damage.
One key thing to understand about rats is that they continue to reproduce as long as the external conditions allow them to. This means that they don’t have one set “reproductive season,” but that they can continue to do so throughout the year if it remains pleasant enough.
Since Seattle usually doesn’t experience harsh winters, and our summers are quite pleasant, this increases the amount of time rats have to re-populate each year. In combination with the fact that we are further susceptible to these species arriving in on industrial ships at our many docks and harbors, Seattle is more prone to increased rat populations.
On top of this, the sprawl of construction and infrastructure development our area is experiencing to meet the demands of the flux of people moving to our region. Demolition or developing previously-undeveloped areas forces the rodents and critters occupying those spaces to flee outwards and find new places to nest.
Unfortunately, those new nests are usually created in your pre-existing home or business. The dangers this can cause, both to your health and bank account, are substantial. Protecting your home and staying on top of rodent control measures is key to avoiding the costly damages associated with rodent infestations.
Rat Damage Costs Include:
- Damage to home / business electrical wiring and cables
- Health hazards and costs of rodent-causing diseases
- Clean-up costs from rat-causing filth
- Damage to attics and crawl spaces
- Damage to insulation in attic and walls
- Gnawing holes through structural wood and/or roofing material
- Damage to home / business structural integrity
- Damage to motor vehicles
Stop Rat Problems with Cascade Pest Control
Whether it’s through an unsealed sub-space, loose roofing tile, or an uncovered drain pipe, rats are experts at finding ways to enter your home. Their keen ability to squeeze in or chew through siding or roofing materials makes them agile foes.
In an effort to prevent rodent sprawls that infest surrounding homes and businesses, the city has required that an extermination process occur before a building is demolished or re-developed, but individual property owners must hold themselves accountable for protecting their spaces past that.
Cascade Pest Control is dedicated to creating a personalized, proactive, and effective rodent control plan to fit your needs. Our expert technicians are happy to come evaluate your space and identify (and later fix) any exterior and interior vulnerabilities your structure may have to rodents.
We also advise people be aware that rats and mice have been known to nest in motor vehicles in the colder seasons. Be sure you regularly check up on your car to ensure you aren’t inhaling toxic fumes at the cause of rodent nests in your ventilation pipes.
The risks of not being proactive and intentional about preventing rodents from entering your space can escalate quickly. Not only is it more expensive to clean up and repair what their nests and presence has ruined, but they can introduce disease that is a danger to your health as well.
Trust Cascade to protect your health and your home. We offer services in Seattle, Redmond, Kirkland, Tacoma, Auburn, Bellevue, Bellingham, and the surrounding Puget Sound region.
Call 888-989-8979 or request a quote today!
