Rats are known to be troublesome as they can cause massive damage to property, contaminate food and transmit diseases, particularly bubonic plague and rat-bite fever in humans and livestock. They occupy building foundations, garbage and wood piles, walls, attics, and cabinets among other areas. They are adaptive to a variety of climatic conditions and can thrive in buildings, open fields, gardens and farms. It is this versatility that makes rat removal in Tacoma a daunting task. Sometimes it is very difficult to see rats, but their damage is visible. The following are some indicators that can help you tell if there is a rat infestation in your home:
* Burrows beneath a compost heap
* Rat droppings around pet food storage area and recycle bins
* Remnants of rat nests in a dismantled wood pile
* Noise in the attic, especially after sunset
* Rats travelling along utility lines or on top of fences
* Eaten fruits or nuts that fall in your yard
* Evidence of digging in the yard
* Your cat carrying dead rat carcasses
* Rat nests behind boxes in the garage.
Rats can be controlled either by use of poison baits or traps. Trapping has been proved to be the safest and most effective way of rat removal in Tacoma. A single trap can be used over and again, making use of traps a cost-effective method but more labor intensive. Traps are simply set and put in areas prone to or suspected to be infested with rats such as attics. There are various types of snap traps such as the larger plastic single-kill trap or the simple wooden rat-size traps. However, what matters is the positioning and placement of the trap and not the type. Traps use food attractants like bacon or nutmeats which are mixed with rodenticides. The pesticide contains anti-coagulants that kill the rats when they consume the food.
Instead of waiting and incurring expenses in rat eradication, you can take precautionary measures by rat-proofing your home. Repair internal screens on roofs and air vents in attics, and make all doors tight-fitting and weatherproof. All openings around pipes and cables that enter the house through the walls should be sealed. Lastly, make sure that all windows that can be opened are properly screened.
