Everyone deserves a pest-free home. This is one of the main reasons why we build our houses as secure and safe as possible. As responsible parents, they wouldn’t want to risk our children’s life the dangers brought by pests. For this segment, we will be discussing one of the most common winter pests known to mankind–the rat.
Ever since the dawn of humans, rats have been a raging pest to our ancestors. They pilfer and destroy homes because of their ravenous appetites. In the modern age, did you know that fires from damaged insulators and electrical wirings are caused by these pests? What’s worse, rats can bring several diseases to our families that include amoebiasis, salmonellosis, and the bubonic plague. And left untreated, it can lead to serious damages and even death. This is the reason why we need an efficient way to kill rats inside our homes.
An Overview Of Rats
Rats are commonly known for their medium-sized body and brown to black color with long tails. True rats belong to the genus called “Rattus” among which black and brown moths are mostly associated with humans. Indeed, you read it right. Somewhere in the rat genome, there is a resemblance in the human DNA. In fact, researchers refer to these pests as the shadow of human beings. As human work and do most of their activities in the morning, it is the opposite among rats. They scour houses and streets during night time where they feel safest and least noticed. This may come as a shock but, rats are very shy and timid creatures unless they start gnawing wood at night. Then, this might cause a serious disturbance to your home.
Rats are relatively small and can fit even through the smallest holes inside your home. In fact, they can create their own when they will it. Their basic instinct is to look for food and fend for their young–a trait that likens them to us humans. They will do anything it takes to provide for shelter and food for their family. This is one of the main reasons why they infest homes and establishing their habitat inside it.
In addition to this, rats are called winter pests because of their inability to ward off the cold during the winter. You can observe during the cold days that there is a gradual increase in pest infestation inside your home. And it does not only affect rats but also other insects such as moths, cockroaches, and many more.
Prevent Rat Infestation Inside Your Home
To prevent these infestations, you need to consider basic methods:
1. Clean your house regularly. This might not terminate the existing rats inside your home, but it will help avoid more from coming in. It is best to remove all attractions to rats to maintain a pest-free environment. It doesn’t hurt to scrub, vacuum, and sweep the floor from time to time. It also does not hurt to practice the habit of cleaning as you go. Whenever you eat or do an activity that involves crumbs and clutters, it is best to fix your things and throw away unnecessary things as fast as you can. Would not want any more pests to come running inside your home.
2. Take out the trash regularly. One of the main reasons why rats infest home is the clutters of trash in your kitchen. It is true what they say, another man’s trash is another species treasure. So, do not give them any more reason to go inside your home.
3. Avoid any clutters around your home. This includes your clothes, unwashed plates, cluttered garments and accessories and many more. We have discussed earlier in the chapter that rats are very shy and in creatures. They like an environment where they can hide easily. Don’t make it easy for them. Clean your surroundings regularly and remember not to leave anymore clutter inside and outside your home.
4. Check for holes and crevices where rats or other insects can pass through. Every week, on your most convenient time, schedule one or two hours of full house inspection. Make sure that there are no crevices are holes where pests can enter. Check your basement and your attic, including your garage. Make sure that there are no passageways are pests to enter. If there are, close these immediately and do the necessary precautions to avoid the report action of the existing pests inside your home.
5. Avoid planting bushes or trees near your home. Rats like to hide using these blockages so they cannot be seen by the naked eye. As much as possible, move these bushes and trees away from your home. Better yet, put them at the far side of your house so you do not have to worry about any hiding spot for pests.
6. Apply lawn treatments. Another thing that attracts rats is the insects they can find on our lawns. To avoid these attractions, need to apply a lawn treatment that can eliminate these pests that serve as food to the rats.
7. Regularly check dark and unused spaces inside your house. To help get rid of rats at home, it is important to check the dark and unused spaces because this is where rats and cockroaches usually hide.
Homemade Poison Against Rats
For homemade solutions to kill rats in the house, here are some tips for house extermination:
1. Peppermint. Rats have a very distinct sense of smell. To us humans, peppermint is very the rent and fresh. However, it is offensive to rats. To do this, add 25-30 drops of peppermint essential oil to a cotton ball and place it to places where rats are commonly found. Peppermint kills the rats as soon as it gets in contact with their lungs, it shrinks it and eventually kills the rats.
2. Moth Balls. You can buy mothballs from department stores within your vicinity. It is advised to put these in places where rats can be found.
3. Ammonia. This is known as a cleaning agent, but it also acts as a poison to mice and rats. All you need to do is mix 2 – 2 and a half cups of ammonia, 100 – 200 mL of water and a 2-3 spoonful of detergent in a bowl. Then, put it to places where rats are usually seen. The smell of ammonia is very pungent that it instantly kills rats.
4. Black pepper can also produce a very sharp smell which is harmful to mice and rats. This is a basic condiment because it spices up the food. But to these rodents, it is harmful to their lungs.
5. Onions. Another poisonous repellant against rats is onions. Just like the black pepper, its smell is very offensive to mice and rats that could lead them to death. All you need to do is slice onions and place it where mice and rats are found. However, you need to remember to change the onions every day because they rot in a specific amount of time.
6. Boric Acid Poison. But 1 cup of boric acid into a bowl and mix it with chicken broth, about a ½ teaspoon a time. Stir very well after each addition. If the texture is too thin, add more boric acid. The smell of the broth starts to attract rats, which will eventually die when they consume the boric acid. Wear your gloves and roll this paste into balls, about the size of a marble. Put this on a jar that will serve as bait to rats and mice.
7. Baking Soda Poison. For this poison, combine 1 cup of flour or cornmeal with 1 cup of sugar and a powdered chocolate mix then add 1 cup of baking soda. Mix it very well. Fill some jar lids with the poison and put it where you can find rat droppings. Monitor the area until you no longer see any sign of rat infestation.
The Best Pest Control
However, not all of us has the luxury of time to create these poisons to kill rats inside the house. Which is why it is important to call for help from a competentpest control service in Davidson, North Carolina.
If you have the need for a pest control service that can provide everything for you, contact Lake Norman Home Services. This humble company has been providing service for more than 50 years and has been dedicating its services to customer satisfaction, safety, and excellence ever since. The staff and exterminators from Lake Norman Home Services are equipped with high-quality training and updated education in their line of work. They can guarantee you 100% effectiveness of their services.
The best part is, they pride themselves in using proven and tested methods of pest control that are surely safe for humans and animals. Lake Norman Home Services offers a basic service plan that covers the interior and exterior portion of your home. They’re willing to provide all the necessary treatments and methods for pest control without any additional price. You would be crazy to go anywhere else! All it takes is one quick call.