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Why Rats Enter The Home

Rats are very agile animals, and few obstacles can stay in their way when they try to enter a building. Do they have to swim to get in? They’ll travel through the sewers and enter through the toilet. Is the bottom floor inaccessible? No problem, they will climb the walls and enter through the roof. But why exactly are rats so drawn to a building?

Warmth and shelter

When the weather is nice, rats will run outdoors, digging through trash and swimming through sewers. However, as the temperatures go down, the rats will need warmth and shelter in order to survive in the coming months. Since Norway rats live very close to human settlements throughout their lives, they will look to enter the home as the winter starts to set in.

Food

Rats are not picky eaters. If given the chance, they will dig through trash to find spoiled meat and vegetables. However, in the home, they could be treated to a veritable feast, especially if you leave your food unsealed or out in the open. In terms of the types of foods that they are interested in, they will eat pretty much anything, from candy to cereals, meat and peanut butter.

Leaking pipes

Unlike mice, rats will need extra water sources, as they cannot draw all the moisture they need from their food. In the ideal scenario for the rats, there is a leaky pipe somewhere in the wall, which they can drink from safely, without having to leave their nest.

Entry points into the home

When you have small gaps, holes or cracks in the walls of the home, the rats will be able to use them to gain entry. If these gaps are not present however, the rats might still be able to enter by gnawing a hole themselves. By sealing these holes and reinforcing the walls, you are 80% of the way to fully preventing rat infestations.

Controlling an infestation

In order to control an infestation, you will have to both remove the rats from the home, and deny some or all of the above factors that draw the rats in. We can help you out with this process. By using traps or poisons, depending on the situation and the size of the infestation, we can completely remove the rats from your home. Contact us today for more information or to set up an appointment.