Rats are some of the most destructive rodents found in homes and businesses. These disgusting rodents can destroy your home and personal property and contaminate your food and home with dangerous diseases and viruses. If you have seen one of these destructive rodents in your home, the experienced Austin pest control specialist at Aries Pest Control knows how to help.
Here is a look at how you can easily distinguish rats from other types of rodents and how you can eliminate any factors that might be drawing them to your home.
Physical Characteristics Of Rats: How To Identify A Rat
Many times, rats and mice are mistaken for one another. However, if you put a rat and a mouse beside each other, you would be able to see the differences between these two types of rodents. Rats are larger than mice and typically measure around 16 inches from nose to tail. Most rats have long and thick bodies covered in black, brown, or gray fur. They also usually have large eyes, a pointed muzzle, and triangular ears. Some types of rats, like the roof rat, will have a tail longer than their body. They use their long tails to help them maintain their balance on narrow and elevated surfaces.
All rats are athletic and have sharp claws that allow them to easily climb up walls, electrical wires, and other porous surfaces. They use their impressive athletic abilities to help them stay out of sight. If you are unable to spot rats in your house, you can look for these other signs that rats leave behind when they invade a home:
- Gnaw marks around your home and furniture
- Dark, greasy rub marks found on the bottom of your walls and baseboards
- Holes chewed through food and food packages
- Seeing small footprints around your home
If you have rats in your home, you are likely to see rat droppings in your kitchen, bathroom, under your furniture, and other areas of your home. Rat droppings are usually dark brown or black and are about ¾ of an inch long and ¼ of an inch wide with blunt ends.
Health Risks Posed By Rats: Understanding The Hazards To Humans
Rats are capable of damaging just about any area of your home. Their sharp claws and teeth can chew and dig through the sheetrock of your home and your cabinets, clothing, furniture, and food. They can also chew through the electrical wiring in your home, which could be a potential fire hazard if not quickly repaired.
Rats also spread a wide range of diseases and viruses through their droppings and urine. Some illnesses you can catch directly and indirectly from rats include trichinosis, leptospirosis, jaundice, and rat-bite fever. These rodents also bring fleas and ticks into your home, creating even more pest infestations in your home.
Call The Rat Control Experts: Ensuring Safe And Effective Elimination
Rats can be one of the most difficult types of pest to eliminate. They are smart and cunning and know how to avoid certain traps placed out in the open. If you want to stop your rat problem for good, you should call the rodent control experts in Austin at Aries Pest Control. We understand the habits and behaviors of various kinds of rats, which allows us to stay one step ahead of these rodents.
Top Rat Prevention Tips: How To Keep Your Home Rodent-Free
Rats usually come into your home in search of food and water. If you want to prevent rats from invading your home, some of the things that you can try include:
- Place a tight lid on your outdoor trash cans.
- Put all of your dry food in a sealable metal or glass container.
- Seal any holes that you find around your house.
- Keep your yard free of lumber, leaf piles, and other debris.
If you want an easy way to keep rats out of your Austin home, give us a call today. At Aries Pest Control, we are a family-owned and operated company that has kept Austin homes pest-free for over a decade. We know just what it takes to get rid of the rats in your home and stop them from invading your home in the future.