Rats bring disease to people and pets. They are also very destructive and will bite through wiring and walls. Sometimes they are responsible for a house fire breaking out. Rats will tear up materials to make nests. Some rats are as small as five inches in length while others grow to the size of a five-pound cat.
Despite wanting to be rid of a rat infestation, you may want to avoid killing them in rat traps or with chemicals that could be ingested by your house pets. There are some natural methods you can use to discourage rats from making a home in your property. In this article, we will look at what you can do without harming them.
Find their Entry Points and Seal the Gaps
Rats can enter your home through fairly small holes the thickness of your thumb. At the entry points in use, you will usually find signs of rat activity. Once you have found these, you need to seal them. Make sure that you identify and seal all the possible places they can enter, even those that don’t show signs of current activity.
You can seal holes and cracks with metal kick plates, wire wool, caulk, or cement. Repair any broken pipes or other places where they have gained entry. Do an annual check for new entry points and inspect your repairs monthly to make sure that they are holding.
Repel Rats with Natural Ingredients
Spread a good quantity of your selected repellents along the line where the ground and your foundation meet. Good options are cloves, black pepper, cayenne pepper, or peppermint oil. At their entry points, you can use pepper spray or crushed pepper. This will irritate the linings of their noses and enter their airways, making them less likely to use that site again.
Prevent Access to Food and Water
Rats will go after food and water sources when these are readily available. You should make sure that they cannot get into boxes and packets of food and remove other sources. To do this:
- Place all food into glass, metal, or plastic storage containers. Make sure the lids are airtight. Put dry pet food into sealable buckets. After your pets have eaten, take the plates away and wash them. Note that pets should always have access to clean drinking water so leave a clean water bowl on top of a counter.
- Do your dishes immediately after each meal as crumbs and leftovers will attract rats.
- As soon as you drop food, clean it up thoroughly.
- Use a metal trash can with a lid that fits securely. Wash it often with soap and hot water.
- Get rid of recycling, rubbish, and compost weekly.
If Nothing Works
Sometimes, all your efforts will be in vain. If you are unable to eradicate the rats yourself, call in an expert Bristol pest controller such as Advance Pest Control Bristol. A good pest controller Bristol will give you further advice on how rats behave and how to detect their activity. They may have to resort to traps and chemical methods to solve the problem so you should inform them if you have pets and ask them to take steps to ensure their safety. If you have done all you can, pest control in Bristol is your best option.
Don’t ignore a rat problem as it can have serious consequences for your health and result in structural damage to your home.