Rats. Most of us hope to never cross paths with them, but odds are you’ll encounter one of these creepy critters sooner or later. Unfortunately, rats and other wild rodents are common in Florida. You can find them hiding out in basements, crawl spaces and attics. They cause extensive property damage as they chew through wood, drywall and electrical wires. Invading our homes, they build nests inside the walls and leave a wake of destruction — not to mention filth and droppings — behind them. Infestations are costly, unsanitary and pose a serious threat to our health.
What kind of threats, you may ask?
Rats and other rodents are notorious for spreading diseases to humans and other animals. These diseases can be contracted directly — from a rat bite, or indirectly — from the bite of a flea, mite, or tick that fed off a diseased rodent. Even worse, bites aren’t the only means of transmission. Mere exposure to rat urine and feces is enough to contract an illness. That is why it is so important to address a potential problem the moment you see signs of a rat anywhere on your property.
Aside from an actual sighting, there are a few telltale clues that’ll point out a rat every time, even if it never shows its whiskers.
Rodents are creatures of habit and follow the same paths, day in and out. These paths lead from their nests to food and water sources. Two little-known facts about rats: They have oily fur and their front teeth never stop growing. These two attributes prompt those unwanted houseguests to leave clues that they’ve moved in. They regularly gnaw and rub on the surfaces they travel, leaving chew marks and a greasy track along walls and baseboards. Excrement is also a clear-cut sign that a nest is near, and infestation is imminent.
What can you do to protect yourself, your family and your pets?
According to the CDC, there are three simple steps: “Seal up, trap up, clean up.”
- Seal up – Prevent rodents from entering your home by sealing up any gaps or holes that allow access to the inside from outside.
- Trap up – Set out traps to capture all rodents before they have time to reproduce and infest.
- Clean up – Eliminate possible rodent food sources by keeping things tidy.
All signs and sightings should be taken seriously, and dealt with immediately. If you suspect or see rats in your home, after you jump up onto your kitchen chair screaming, call your local Slug-A-Bug experts at (321) 259-7844. Our team is here to help, and the safety of you and your loved ones is our number-one priority.
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