Having rats as roommates is far from the cute and helpful image portrayed in movies. Although you might wish they’re cooking you French cuisine, the reality is these furry creatures can cause significant damage, spread diseases, and wreak havoc on your home. If you’re dealing with a rat control problem in Florida, it is time to take off the rose-colored glasses and find a solution tailored to your location. Find the steps to protect your home and health with Critter Control, your trusted Tampa pest control experts.
Recognizing the Signs of a Rat Infestation
If rats have taken up residence in your home, they’re likely taking advantage of your kitchen, basement, and even the inside of your walls as they set up their nest. Because of their propensity for staying hidden, it can be difficult to identify an outbreak until extensive damages have been done. It’s important to recognize the visual signs of a rat infestation so you can move quickly.
Rats are constantly chewing on and eating anything they can find. This means that the most common initial sign of an infestation is gnawing marks, typically showing up in these formats:
- Food Packaging – If your snack bags and food items have been torn up or visibly nibbled through, it’s a sign.
- Insulation – If you’ve got little pieces of insulation randomly sprawled everywhere, it’s a sign.
- Wires – If the wires in your home are chewed through and exposed, or you’ve begun having issues with electrical outlets or switches suddenly not working, it’s a sign.
- Wooden Beams – If the beams in your attic, basement, or garage have teeth marks, it’s a sign.
As the infestation grows you may begin to notice more and more signs of the rat presence around your home, such as scuttling noises from inside the walls, a distinct odor, droppings, and grease marks on counters or flooring from their fur.
If these signs are present, it’s highly likely that they have found their way into the common hiding spots where rats typically reside.
Common Hiding Spots for Rats
To effectively address a rat infestation, it’s important to know where they commonly like to hide. The locations include:
- Attics
- Basements
- Crawl Spaces
- Garages
- Wall Cavities
Rats prefer these locations because they provide an environment of seclusion with small openings, warm temperatures, easy access to food and water, and a safe place to breed. If your Florida home is inviting rats in by the droves, it’s time to take action today and get rid of your rodent problem with Critter Control, specializing in Florida rodent control.
Diseases Rats Bring Into Your Home
Rats aren’t just chewing through what’s in front of them or nicely sitting back in their hiding spot — Rats are bringing diseases inside your home that can cause health issues for adults, kids, andpets. Diseases that rats can bring into your home include:
- Leptospirosis — A bacterial infection that causes fever, nausea, muscles aches, and (worst case scenario) kidney and liver damage. It is transmitted by contact with rat urine through means of contaminated soil, food, or water.
- Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome — A virus that causes flu-like symptoms, or in severe circumstances, severe respiratory distress from your lungs filling with fluid. It is spread by inhaling dust polluted with rat droppings, urine, or saliva.
- Salmonellosis – A bacterial infection that causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, or a fever. It is passed along by consuming food and water tainted by rat droppings, urine, or saliva.
- Rat-Bite Fever – A bacterial infection that causes a fever, vomiting, headache, severe rash on hands and feet, joint pain, and potentially organ damage. It is transferred through bites or scratches from an infected rat.
The presence of rats in your Florida home can feel gross and is a legitimate health threat. If you’re worried about the hygiene risks from rats, then let’s get you a solution to your valid concern by calling in local professionals, specializing in Florida pest control, to protect your home!
Structural Dangers That Rats Pose to Your Home
Setting aside the health concerns, rats can also quickly bring about expensive damages to your home. Not only do their burrowing activities weaken the structure of your house and can ruin the insulation of your walls, but their tendency to chew through electrical wires poses a fire hazard. When a rat chews through a wire, the sparks generated can be enough to set insulation or weakened wood ablaze.
Despite their small size, rats have the potential to completely destroy a Florida home. Safeguard your Florida home with professional rodent control and protect it from the dangers these pests pose.
How to Evict Your Rat Roommates
If you’re dealing with an overwhelming rat problem that threatens your home and family’s health, it’s time to call in the professionals. While it might seem like a do-it-yourself task, the best investment you can make to evict rats from your house is through expert assistance from Florida pest control specialists. By contacting Critter Control, you’ll receive professional rat control services, as well as additional pest control repairs to address the damage caused by these rodents, ensuring a comprehensive solution to your rat problem and protection for your Florida home and health. Don’t underestimate the dangers of having rats as roommates.. From causing structural damage to spreading diseases, these pests pose a serious threat to your home and health. Take action today and evict your rat roommates with professional Florida rat control services – give us a call.
