The more time you spend at home, the more you’ll pick up on suspicious sounds, strong smells, and other 
strange signs. But that still might not make it easy to tell when the unusual happenings around your home are the usual signs of a rat infestation. Here’s how to tell if you have rats in the attic, walls, or anywhere else in your household.
The Clues These Critters Leave Behind
There are a variety of different clues that rats unintentionally leave around your home, including:
- Gnaw marks – Found on food packaging, insulation, wires, or wooden beams, gnaw marks are a strong sign that you have rats or a similar rodent.
- Noise – Because rats are nocturnal, you may hear scratching sounds as they run around during the nighttime.
- Odor – Rat infestations typically create a musky or stale smell, which grows stronger as an infestation grows larger.
- Droppings – Rat droppings tend to pile up near food sources or in hidden areas in your kitchen and dining room.
- Nests – Perhaps the most obvious sign of rats, nests are built from paper, cardboard, or a similar material.
Extra Places You’ll Find These Pests
Rats, like most other rodents, are attracted to trash. These scavengers will seize any opportunity to dig through easily accessible garbage, which is why your garage could quickly become a hotspot. Check the areas where you most frequently store waste and keep a close eye out for any of the warning signs mentioned above. If you have piles of trash in your driveway or unsealed trashcans in your garage, you may want to think about a more secure waste system that will keep rats from coming back.
Scaling the Size of Your Infestation
When gauging how serious a rat problem is, you’ll need to try and gauge the size of the rat problem as well. Below are some likely signs that your infestation could be bigger than it seems:
- Rats running around in the daytime
- Urine puddles and droppings throughout your house
- Strange, stressed behavior coming from your pets
These indications might give you a better idea of just how major your infestation is, but the only way to know for sure is to have your home professionally inspected.
Remove Rats Right Now
A rat infestation is another problem to add to your already full plate. That’s why the team at Critter Control® of Tampa offers a range of residential services to help you through every step of the pest control process. We’ll inspect your home for rats, remove any unwanted animals, protect your home from reentry, and even repair areas affected by rat damage. To schedule a free inspection, call us today.
