The Key to Keeping Rats Out Of Your Orange County Home

One pest that no Orange County homeowner wants to encounter is the rat. Rats can cause serious problems, damaging property and bringing disease with them as they travel through filthy environments and into your home. The best defense against a rat infestation is to learn more about them, including signs of rats to look out for and the best ways to keep rats out of your home.

Rat Species In Orange County

We have to worry about two different types of rat species here in Orange County, and each has its own distinct features.

The roof rat is recognizable due to its long tail, which is often longer than the rest of its body. These pests are lean-looking with brown to black fur, large ears and eyes, and a pointed snout.

The Norway rat has a very different build, being stocky with a heavy body, short tail, small eyes and ears, and a blunt snout. They tend to have brown or black coloring, but some are white or even grey. 

Both species thrive in and around where humans live and feed due to their need to obtain accessible food sources. They are omnivores, adhering to a diet of grains, fruits, nuts, vegetables, and some meat.

Can Rats Be Dangerous?

Let’s consider this fact; rats are associated with the spread of bubonic plague in old Europe, a disease that killed off 1/3 of the population. Rats are vector pests, which means they can carry and transmit diseases to people and even other animals. The diseases rats carry include salmonellosis, cowpox virus, Weil’s disease, trichinosis, plague, rat-bite fever, and hantavirus. Like other pests, they tend to exacerbate allergies, asthma, and pulmonary weakness.

On top of the diseases rats carry, they can also cause structural damages to homes in Orange County. They can leave holes in yards and undermine building foundations. Both species can gnaw through insulation, paper, and cloth to make nests, while their droppings and nests can block gutters and clog drain pipes.

How Do I Know If I Have A Rat Infestation In My Orange County Home?

You will know if you have a rat infestation if you see droppings, but there are other signs of rats as well. You can check wiring for gnawing or chew marks and check walls for marks or holes. These are telltale signs that you have unwanted house guests.

Other clues to these pests being in your home are sounds and odors. You will actually hear them scurrying through the walls and hear them squeaking, gnawing, and scratching. At the same time, you might smell their urine, as it has a distinct smell of ammonia.

How To Keep Your Home Rat-Free

The best way to avoid a rat infestation is to keep rats out of your home in the first place. Here are a few ways to limit rats' access to your home: 

• Store food in secure, rodent-proof containers; wash dishes and cooking utensils immediately after use.
• Seal all unintentional holes, gaps, and cracks in your home or garage that are larger than 1/4 of an inch; maintain your structure, keeping it sealed as tight as possible.
• Install weather strips at the bottom of exterior doors.  
• Keep tree branches trimmed and out of contact from your building's walls and roof; your tree branches should never touch your structure.
• Store firewood as far from your home as possible.
• Make sure all windows and vents remain screened and inaccessible to rodents from the exterior.
• Remove any piles of debris near the foundation of your home.
• Be sure to trim branches, plants, and bushes that hang over your home.  
• Ensure that gutters are directing water away from your home.
• Do not leave crumbs or morsels on tabletops or floors.

How Can Pacific Shore Pest Control Help?

Pacific Shore Pest Control will provide an effective extermination program for your home by first doing a rat exterminator inspection. A technician will use a combination of information to assess the type and level of the rat infestation. Once this is done, they will move on and handle the extermination of the infestation with an Integrated Pest Management (IPM) system.

1. Trapping: Trapping refers to the act of placing traps designed to attract and capture rats within it. Traps differ in mechanics and utility.
2. Baiting: This is using state-registered products designed to attract rats to the desired area. A technician may decide to use baits to change or modify patterns of traffic.
3. Exclusion: This is the act of sealing cracks, holes, and crevices in a structure that rodents may use to gain access into a structure and is a crucial part of any building’s IPM program.

Call Pacific Shore Pest Control to eliminate your rat infestation or any other pest issues you might have.