Baldwyn Property Owners' Handy Guide To Rat Control

If only there was a handy place to find a simple and easy-to-understand guide for rat control. Have you ever thought that? Well, you found it! But, before we get you too excited, you should know that it isn't easy to control rats. The conditions that lead to a rat infestation are sometimes difficult or impossible to control. Let's consider the process together, starting from where rats are before they come onto your property to the time when rats are living inside a structure on your property.

Rat Habitats

Before pest rats live with you, they're going to live with someone else. Pest rats live inside man-made structures, or in close proximity to them. They leave the area they live in for basically one of two reasons. The location becomes unfavorable, or they find your location to be more favorable. You don't have control over the first, but you have some control over the second. Removing attractants is one of the best things you can do to deter rats.

What Rats Want

The two pest rats you'll find in your yard will be Norway rats or roof rats. Norway rats are brown rats that prefer to live in ground burrows near structures. They'll also take up residence in sewers. Roof rats are black rats. While they can live in sewers, they would much rather live in trees and other high places. As you consider attractions, you need to consider what type of rat you're trying to deter. Brown rats will stay low to the ground. Black rats are great climbers and are likely to access your home by way of high entry points.

Attractants

Let's break down attractants into a few key categories. The lists inside these categories are not conclusive. They are meant to give you a general idea of what you need to address. Apply these ideas to the unique challenges on your property.

Food

• Make sure you have no uncontained garbage and see that all receptacles have a working lid.
• Protect obvious food sources, such as gardens, fruit trees, and berry bushes, by installing fencing. Be sure to apply your fencing material so that it goes at least a foot below the ground. This will help to keep Norway rats from tunneling underneath.
• If you have bird feeders with seeds in them, consider putting them well away from your exterior walls. Rats love seeds.
• Keep dog droppings picked up. Urban rodents can take to feeding on feces.
• If you have a grill, make sure to keep it clean.

Water

• Address clogged or broken gutters. These can cause oversaturation near your home and the result can be watering holes for rats to wet their whistles.
• Remove objects that capture rainwater.
• Fix leaking plumbing, hoses, or sprinkler systems.

Hiding Places

• Remove clutter from your yard. If an object doesn't need to be in your yard, it is best to get rid of it or store it inside. Rats use clutter as hiding places and Norway rats, in particular, are prone to establishing burrows under piles of clutter.
• Trim the vegetation in your landscaping to make it feel open near the bottom of your plants. This makes rats feel exposed.
• Remove rock piles, wood piles, leaf piles, and other organic piles.
• Keep your lawn trimmed.

Harborage

• Apply fencing material to prevent rats from going into voids underneath structures on your property.
• Seal holes in the exterior of structures to prevent rats from getting inside. Use a caulking gun, expanding foam, wire mesh, metal flashing, and steel wool to accomplish this task.

Direct Rat Control

If you remove attractants, you'll have less rat activity. This will reduce your chances of a rat infestation. But what do you do when you have higher than normal rat pressures, or you have conditions on your property that are difficult to alter? The best way to get control of rats is with traps or bait. We recommend having a licensed pest professional handle this task because it requires training and experience. You can waste a lot of time, money, and energy doing it yourself. Why? Because rats are much smarter than you might imagine. At McCary Pest Control, our technicians use field-tested strategies to track down rat activity, deploy traps, and monitor the success of each trapping program.

If you live in Baldwyn, Mississippi, let the rat control professionals here at McCary Pest Control get control of those rats for you. Rats can present health risks and there are many ways they can damage your property. We help you protect your health and property by getting the results you want. Don't take chances. Get effective rat control by reaching out to us today. We can help.