What To Do About Rats On Your Las Vegas Property

When you notice a rat running through your yard, what should you do? The answer to that question depends on the rat. Different rats do different things. If you see a brown rat, you may not have to worry. Brown rats do well in the tunnels they dig in the ground. They don't have to get into man-made structures. That brown rat may just be passing through. As long as it lives somewhere other than on your property, you may not have to do anything. If you see a black rat, that is another matter altogether. Black rats commonly get into structures and live. While brown rats can do this as well, they're not prone to it. Black rats have earned the name house rat because of their love of being indoors. Unfortunately, this information isn't going to help you all that much because it is rare to actually see a rat. You're far more likely to see signs of rats. Our topic today is how to tell if you have rats, how concerned should you be, and what is the most effective way to get rid of rats in Las Vegas.

Are you currently dealing with a rat problem? You don't have to read an article about rat control to get answers. You can jump to our contact page and reach out to us for rodent pest control in Las Vegas. We can come to you and tell you exactly what's going on. If you're just curious about rats and you want to know some prevention tips, read on. You'll find some great ideas here.

How To Tell If It's Rats On Your Property

When rats are in your yard, there are ways you can tell. The warning signs are different for black and brown rats. Let's look at each.

Brown Rats: These rats are known as Norway rats, but they are common in every corner of the world. When they come into your yard, they're likely to dig holes underneath yard clutter, particularly stacked wood, wooden pallets, cardboard, and junk. When these rats explore your exterior, you may find their black droppings. Rat droppings are larger than a grain of white rice, which is more than twice the size of mouse droppings. Brown rats are big rodents. Their droppings are larger than the droppings of black rats as well.

Black Rats: These rats are known as roof rats. They love to climb trees and get into structures through high entry points. If these rats are on your property, you may have to inspect your roof to find warning signs. You may see holes created by these rats, but they won't be in the ground. You'll find their holes in eaves, soffits, shingles, seals around roof penetrations, and your chimney. You may find their droppings in sheltered areas, such as roof soffit intersections.

Indoors, both of these rats can give you warning signs. The signs they provide are similar to the signs mice leave. Here are a few points to consider as you interpret the evidence.

  • You may find black droppings in the backs of your cabinets, drawers, and shelves, or you may find them in voids and secluded spaces. When you find droppings, use their size to tell what rodents you have in your property.
  • You may find holes. Rats chew through building materials to go from structural voids to common areas. A mouse hole is smaller than a rat hole. An adult mouse only needs a hole the size of a dime. An adult rat needs a hole the size of a quarter. While this is impressively small, it is larger than the holes mice use, and you can use this information to figure out what type of rodent has gotten inside.
  • Rats leave grease marks as they run along baseboards. You may also find grease marks around the holes they're using, or on your floors. The marks on baseboards are helpful as they can give you an idea of size.

Once you know that you have rats in your property, what is next? Is it a big deal to have a rat infestation?

The Damage And Dangers Rats Can Create

Rats are notorious commercial pests. They can cause businesses to fail health inspections. These animals are a health threat. Whether you're looking to keep them out of your business or your home, there are a few things you should know.

  • Rats get into trash cans, dumpsters, garbage piles, compost, sewers, and more. There are a surprising number of dirty locations city rats can find in the urban jungle. In these places, rats get microorganisms on their fur. While diligent groomers, a city rat doesn't always have the time to properly groom, and its fur tends to be unsanitary. When it does find the chance to groom, it ingests organisms that pass through its system and come out as contaminates in feces and urine. Sorry. It is gross but true.
  • Rats are not housetrained. When they get inside your property, they'll leave their urine and feces in many places. The waste materials left by rodents can contaminate food, surfaces, dishes, silverware, and more. The materials can also dry up, break apart, and become airborne particles.
  • Rats chew on many things. All of their incessant chewing can damage your property and put stored items at risk. While this is certainly bad, it is worse when rats chew on wires. When live wires are cut, a fire can spark.
  • Rats carry ticks, fleas, mites, worms, and other parasites. As they move about inside structures, they can leave their parasites in many places.

At the first sign of rat activity, it is wise to take action. Let's look at the best way to stop rats in Las Vegas.

The Most Effective Way To Get Rid Of Rats On Your Property

Contact a pest control service provider. Rats are clever animals and they are hard to capture. If you do manage to capture a rat or two, you might think you've solved your problem when you actually haven't. Doing this will allow rats to continue to present a threat to health and property. A professional uses a field-tested strategy.

  • An inspection is performed to locate rat activity, routes the rats are using, access holes, general damage, conducive conditions, and other essential factors.
  • A treatment plan is executed. Your technician will systematically capture rodents and remove them from your property. Along with trapping, many other methods and products are likely to be used.  
  • Your technician will monitor the treatment and make changes if rodents behave unexpectedly—which happens quite often.

If you're in Las Vegas, contact Vantage Pest Control for rodent control service for your home. We use bait, snap traps, and sticky traps, based on your preferences. We apply these methods according to trusted strategies. If needed, we do minor exclusion work and seal rodent entry points with wire mesh, netting, or caulking material.

Five Simple Ways To Prevent Future Rat Infestations

Once your rodents are gone, what is next? You will need to take steps to prevent future infestations. Here are our best recommendations.

  1. Remove clutter from your yard. Rats use clutter to navigate. As they scurry along, they use their whiskers to feel objects around them. An open yard is resistant to rat activity and is a deterrent to rats finding their way to the exterior of structures or landscaping.
  2. Remove smells that attract rodents. When rodents come into your yard, they may not venture all the way to exterior walls, especially if there are no objects to use for navigation. But, if a rat smells garbage, it is likely to investigate. It is best to keep bagged trash stored in covered containers and to keep your containers free of strong odors. You may not like the smell of rotting organic matter, but to a rat, that smell is a promise of dinner.
  3. Remove food sources. If a rat finds its way to your exterior, the last thing you want it to find is a food source. Rake nuts up from underneath nut-bearing trees. Remove bird feeders or move them at least twenty feet from your exterior. Protect berry bushes with fencing material. Pick up fruit that falls from trees.
  4. Remove hiding places. When rats explore your exterior, they're going to want to get underneath decks, porches, patios, stairs, and other exterior structures. Use fencing material to seal these structural voids. When installing fencing, install it at least a foot below the surface to prevent Norway rats from tunneling under.
  5. Address water sources. Rats need a drink of water. Remove objects that capture rainwater. Those objects are like water dishes for a rat. Inspect your gutter system, remove clogs, and repair any damaged portions to prevent oversaturation of ground soil near structures on your property.

If you have higher than normal rodent pressures, remember that Vantage Pest Control is always available to assist you. We offer ongoing rodent control with our residential and commercial pest control service plans. We can give you the extra protection you need to make sure rats never get inside. Reach out to us today, we can help!

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