Top Signs Of A Rat Infestation
Top Signs Of A Rat Infestation. A rat infestation is something that you are going to want to get handled immediately. If you are dealing with one, it is imperative that you get it handled as soon as you possibly can. This is due to the enormous health implications that it can come with. In this article, we will be going over some of the top signs of a rat infestation.
Signs Of A Rat Infestation:
1. Active Pests
This one might seem a little obvious, but if you have active pests roaming around your home, it is very likely that you are dealing with some kind of infestation. Try to familiarize yourself with various pests in order to properly identify them. Because pests can be very good at hiding, you will want to look at not so obvious areas in and around your home.
2. Pest Droppings
If you have a rat infestation in your home, it is almost a guarantee that you are going to see rat droppings in and/or around your home frequently. This is something that comes with the territory. By looking around for droppings, you will be able to catch pests in your home and you will be able to properly identify where they spend time. Once you identify that there are pest droppings in your home, you can go ahead and call up an exterminator to get your problem handled professionally.
3. Odd Smells
Another huge indicator that you are dealing with a rat infestation is having odd smells in your home. There are a lot of certain recognizable smells that all kinds of pests give off – in particular rats. Rats typically give off a smell of ammonia. Therefore, if you familiarize yourself with this kind of smell, you should be able to properly identify whether you have a rat infestation or an infestation of mice. Mice typically smell more like urine than ammonia.
4. Holes and Gnawing
Another thing that you are going to want to do is look around your home and your furniture in order to try to see if there are any holes and/or gnawing marks that are present. For example, you will want to look for small holes in the floors, walls, and furniture. This is an absolute dead giveaway that there are rats in the area. Rats absolutely love to gnaw on all kinds of things including floors, walls, furniture, cabinets, boxes, and more. Therefore, if you find any sign of gnaw marks in and around your home, it is very likely that you are dealing with some kind of rat infestation. You should also be on the lookout for any kind of chewed up wires sitting around your home as this is another thing that they love to gnaw on.
5. Evidence Of Nesting
Rats typically will try to make nests out of anything that they possibly can. They will utilize any and all of the resources that they have available. Therefore, by using a flashlight, you should be able to look around your home including behind your appliances, inside your cabinets, and anywhere else that is dark. These are the areas where rats will typically set up shop and create their nests. Also, look for red flags that rats are nesting in your home. If you find a nest made up of shredded paper, it is very likely that you have rats in your home.
6. Grease Marks
Another thing that you are going to want to keep a lookout for is grease marks. Be sure to check them because rats typically travel on the same paths every single day and they can leave evidence of traveling through grease marks on your floors.
