Although some people may keep pet rats, those animals are far different than the rodents that you may have invaded your home and outbuildings at your Monroe property. Having an infestation of rats is quite a nuisance, but it also can be dangerous, as these vermin are known to carry disease, damage buildings, and contaminate food.
If you are seeing these rodents, you need to seek rat control in Monroe. You can trust the team at Guard Pest Control to deliver the highest level of professional service for taking care of your issue. We are ready to eliminate the rats you are seeing quickly and efficiently, all while protecting the health of your family and pets.
Understanding Rat Behaviors And Nesting Habits
When rats move into your Monroe home, they probably will attempt to build a nest. They often live in out-of-the-way places, trying to avoid contact with you. That’s why it’s common to have nests for rats in attic or basement spaces. They sometimes build nests inside your walls, too. They may even live behind appliances, especially if this gives them easy access to food in the kitchen.
If you have old boxes of paper or clothing in these areas, rats may tear up these items to make nests. They also may tear up insulation inside the walls to make a nest. Rats build their nests over a long period, so the damage that you are suddenly seeing may indicate the early stages of the nesting process.
Rats need to gnaw regularly, as their front teeth never stop growing. They will chew on wood framing inside the walls or on support posts in the basement or attic. This is why you may hear gnawing or scratching sounds when you have a significant infestation of these rodents.
Checking For Signs Of An Infestation
You may be wondering how you can tell if you have a rat infestation. These rodents tend to move around at night, so you may not actively see rats inside the home.
Some signs that you may have rats include:
- Chewed food packages
- Gnaw marks on fruit left on the counter
- Droppings left behind, which look like raisins and can be up to 1 inch in length
- An odor of rat urine, which smells like ammonia
- Sounds of scratching or gnawing inside the walls
Some people see both signs of these rodents and live rats actively moving around. Because rats tend to try to avoid making contact with humans, seeing the animals could be an indication of a major infestation. At Guard Pest Control, our experts can visit your home and give you an idea of whether you have rats and how extensive the problem is.
Implementing Preventative Measures
Getting rid of rats is only the first step. After our team at Guard Pest Control eliminates the rats at your Monroe home, we can give you advice on preventative measures you can take to make sure that they stay away.
- Clean up the area around the home by removing trash, which may draw rats.
- Trim plants and bushes around the exterior of the house while picking up fallen fruit.
- Place lids on any trash cans that you have around the home.
- Pick up any pet food that you have outdoors and indoors at night.
- Seal up access points to your home, like small gaps in the foundation, that rodents could use to enter the house.
We know how to get rid of rats and how to keep them away. If you want additional peace of mind, you can schedule our team to regularly visit your property and to look for signs of a re-infestation. This allows us to treat the problem early before it becomes worse and leaves you with the possibility of significant damage.
Seeking Professional Help
Although you may have a temptation to try some DIY methods for rat removal at your Monroe home, these traps and baits are not a sure-fire option. Still, rats are intelligent creatures that often are hesitant about new things that appear in the spaces where they frequent.
Your DIY traps may knock down the population of rodents, but they may not eliminate the rats. They then return a few weeks later in even larger numbers, leaving you with a bigger problem on your hands.
At Guard Pest Control, our team collectively has multiple decades of experience with pest control. We put our proven techniques to work for you, allowing us to eliminate your rat problem efficiently and at a reasonable cost.
We are ready to show you what we can do for you. For a free quote, contact Guard Pest Control today.