Rats are a common pest that you will find all-around your home regardless of where you stay. Often, these annoying and tiny rodents not only enter and reside in your basement but also target your roof area, as they are happy to stay in any place that seems suitable and pleasant for them.
They are not only annoying and cause a lot of damage to your property but they are also really dangerous as they are known to carry many serious diseases. Now that we have established them as a nuisance and not a pet, let us dig in into learning more about these rodents.
What Attracts Rodents to Your Home?
- Bad Sanitation:
Wherever there is dirt, there are rodents! Roof rats and mice do not just enter any area but only the areas that are most unclean and containing water and food sources. If your rooftop provides any of these, then it is considered as a pleasant area to stay by rats.
- Comfort & Safety:
These warm-blooded rodents require their nesting area to be warm and comfortable if your roof provides that then mice and rodents will be drawn towards it.
- Food:
No matter how sweet the movie ‘Ratatouille’ was, you must never have rats roaming around near your food, not only is it unhygienic but it could also transfer diseases. Make sure no leftovers or crumbs are lying around as that could attract rats to your house.
Everything You Need to Know About Roof Rats:
- Features:
Roof rats have a long scaly tail, big eyes, a pointed nose, and large ears.
- Colour & Fur:
They are black or dark brown with spots and have a soft and smooth furry coat.
- Faeces:
Their faeces are ½ inch and smaller as compared to brown rats.
- Habits:
These rodents are not only known for spreading diseases by contaminating your stored foods but for always chewing on your furniture, wiring and other materials.
- Habitat:
As the name suggests, roof rats prefer staying in the upper area of your house, such as your attic, cabinets, ceilings, insides walls, and sheetrock, as well as voids in your roofs.
Home Remedies for Removing Roof Rats:
- Use Mothballs:
Since they are poisonous, you can place mothballs in various areas such as your kitchen, attic, yard, basement, etc. This is an effective way to get rid of both roof rats and mice.
- Peppermint Oil:
Rodents hate the fragrance of peppermint oil, therefore this acts as a repellent to keep them away. You can place cotton balls dipped in peppermint oil all around the area that you suspect is infiltrated with roof rats. You can even use castor oil instead of peppermint oil if you don’t have it.
- Ammonia:
The strong odor in ammonia, is known to drive away the rodents. You can add 2 cups of ammonia to ¼ of water and 2 tbsps. Ofdetergent in a bowl and place it in the infected area.
- Pepper Flakes:
Sprinkle pepper flakes to the area having roof rats, pepper flakes have an unpleasant and sharp smell that they hate and which also makes them have a difficulty in breathing.
- Onion & Garlic:
This pungent odor is not only unpleasant to humans but also to roof rats, place them wherever you feel they are hiding, and after a while replace them with new ones as they will turn rotten and be toxic to have around pets and children.
- Instant Potato Powder:
Wherever you feel the roof rats are hiding, go ahead and sprinkle this instant powder. What happens is, the rodent consumes it and the instant potato powder causes inflammation and it ultimately dies.
Signs of an Infestation Even After Trying These Methods?
If you find that even after trying the various methods mentioned above, you are still stuck with a roof rat infestation, then the chances are that the infestation is much bigger and severe than you expected.
To get rid of such a big and severe infestation you will require professional help, which means contacting a control expert! At Protech Pest Control, we offer you efficient rodent control and removal services using eco-friendly products.
This service is only conducted by certified technicians who will thoroughly inspect your house, create a treatment plan, and carry out a successful treatment service.
Rodent Prevention Tips:
- Keep Your House Tidy and Clean:
Even though you may have conducted a treatment, it is important to keep your home and surroundings neat and tidy, as failing to do so can re-invite roof rats back to your house. Not only should you clean your house regularly but you should also de-clutter your storage rooms and remove any left-overs or crumbs lying around.
- Fix Your Home:
These rodents love hiding away in cracks and crevices or holes in your walls, get rid of the hide-outs by sealing up these places and caulking them as well as securely screening your doors and windows.
- Securely Store Your Food:
Since they are easily attracted to food, it is best to store your food items in air-tight containers and use rat-proof containers to store your pet’s food, as they can easily feed on that too. DO not forget to dispose of your garbage efficiently as not doing so could also attract rodents.
- Consider Adopting a Cat:
Since we all know cats and rats don’t get along, if you are a cat lover and also wish to get rid of any unwanted rodents, adopting a cat is the best way to do so!
Takeaways:
- If you know what is attracting the roof rats and deal with it in time, you can avoid a lot of problems.
- Using natural products is helpful but not as well as chemical products.
In a nutshell, roof rats are nothing but a nuisance and dangerous to be around. If you practice good prevention tips, you can avoid a rodent situation completely!
About the Author:
MuziTsolakis is the owner of Protech Pest Control, Australia that is well known for its efficient rat pest control services and mice control services in Melbourne.
