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How To Identify Rats In The Home Or Garden

 

Rats are intelligent robust creatures that carry disease and can be very tricky to eradicate. Here are some signs to look for when trying to identify a rat infestation.

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Rats are most active at night so you may hear signs of movement or scratching in walls and ceilings. They often gnaw through into rooms at the wall floor junctions under kitchen units, so check for holes in these areas as well as around pipes coming up through flooring. Rats can squeeze through a hole the size of a fifty pence piece. Rub marks are dark shadows left by the oil on rat fur which can often be found around holes or along routes often used by rats (rat runs).

 

Rats leave around 40 droppings per day, often in one particular area they feel safe in. These droppings are dark brown in a tapered, spindle shape, between 10 and 20mm long. As Rat incisor teeth continually grow they love to gnaw, evidence of this can frequently be found by way of wiring being chewed through in lofts and riser cupboards. Also foot prints and tail swipes can sometimes be seen in very dusty areas. 

 

When looking for signs of rats outside, in the garden and around buildings, look for burrows. These will have an opening of between 5 and 10cm wide and will usually be found around the roots of trees and bushes, in overgrown areas, or going under decking and sheds or down the side of building walls.

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The source of rat infestations is often a faulty drainage system so check around the outside of any manholes for evidence of burrows and rat activity.

 

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How Fast Can A Rat Infestation Grow?

 

It is estimated that there is 5 times as many rats as humans on planet earth. Rats have between 3 to 12 litters per year. The average Litter size is 8 infants, though can be as many as 14. The female is pregnant for 3 weeks. The infants will be sexually mature and ready to mate within 10 to 12 weeks. So, a pair of brown rats can have as many as 1500 descendants if all are left to breed uninterrupted, within 1 year.

 

 

Diseases That Can Be Carried By Rats

 

Salmonella,Trichinosis, Rat bite fever, Weils disease, Hantaviruses.

 

 

How To Get Rid Of Rats

 

Rats are intelligent and can be very difficult to remove using DIY methods, however here are some suggestions you may like to try.

Rats enter our homes in search of food, drink and harbourage so the name of the game is removing these things. Food and drink is easy enough, store all edible items and drinks in sealable metal or glass containers. Store rubbish and recycling in sealed metal bins. Keep all surfaces free from food debris. Maintain a high standard of hygiene.

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If the rat problem is outside remove food sources such as fallen fruit from trees and bird feeders etc. Cut back over grown shrubbery and remove any clutter.

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Removing harbourage internally is done by removing clutter and blocking access. Proofing must be done after the rat infestation is eradicated as the last thing you want to do is trap the rat in your home. 6mm wire mesh over holes and steel plates along the bottom of doors is effective.

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Eradication using store bought weak poisons and traps is rarely effective. As previously mentioned rats are highly intelligent so for instance, if the poison is not strong enough or laid in a incorrect dose rats will not digest enough of it, feel ill but not die, and will not feed from the poison again. Conversely, if the dose is too high and the rat dies quickly after consuming it, other rats will be alerted to its toxicity and will not feed from it. Not to mention the risk to non-target species, either by ingesting the poison itself or secondary poisoning via ingestion of dead rodent.

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Old fashion break back traps can work if you are only dealing with one rat. Once other rats see a dead rat in a trap they will not fall for it. Unfortunately it is rare to only have one rat. If you do try trapping we suggest using chocolate spread or peanut butter as bait. Always be aware of non-target animals. Be prepared to dispatch (kill) the rat yourself if the trap does not catch the rat across the back of its neck (foul catch).

 

 

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