Rats are a serious problem for many Los Angeles residents. These sneaky rodents are able to use even the smallest holes and openings in your walls or roof to access your home. Once there, they can cause a lot of dangerous destruction.
At Kat's Pest Solutions, we have been providing first-class pest control in Los Angeles for over a decade. We can help you eliminate these pesky rodents from your property for good. Keep reading to learn how to effectively and permanently remove rats from your home.
How To Tell If It's Roof Rats Around Your Home
Roof rats have long bodies and long tails that are each about six to eight inches long. Their bodies are covered in dark-colored fur, and their tails are long and scaly. The roof rat is a social animal. If you see one of these creatures scurrying around your property, there is a good chance that you already have an infestation.
Roof rats get their name from their impressive ability to climb and balance on high and narrow surfaces. They are great at staying out of sight, which makes them difficult to spot. If you are unable to catch a roof rat in your home with your own eyes, there are still ways to tell if these sneaky creatures are around your property. Some of the signs to look for that indicate a rat infestation include:
- Dark rub marks on walls: Roof rats have terrible eyesight and will usually use a wall or another flat surface as their running guide. Over time, the dirt and oil from their body will start to make dark, greasy stains on the wall.
- Gnaw marks: Like all rodents, roof rats have teeth that continue to grow their entire lives. In order to prevent the growth from causing problems, they will gnaw and chew on almost anything to wear their teeth down. It is common to see gnaw marks on walls, baseboards, furniture, and other objects in your home if you have a rodent infestation.
- Footprints: Roof rats will often leave footprints everywhere they go. Their prints are easy to distinguish from other animals because they have four toes on their front paws and five toes on their back paws.
- Holes: Rats will chew a hole in almost anything. They will chew holes in your furniture, clothing, food packages, walls, and much more. They use these holes to access hard-to-reach places in your home.
If you have roof rats living in your home, you may also hear scratching sounds as well as high-pitched squeaking noises coming from your ceilings or walls. If you hear these noises, it means that a group of rats has already found a place to nest inside your home.
Roof Rats Could Destroy Wiring In Your House
When we say that roof rats will chew on almost anything, we are not joking. They are commonly found nesting in the insulation between walls and in attics. In addition to destroying your walls and insulation, they will chew and nibble on the electrical wiring that is in there as well. If they are able to chew through the protective coating of the wire, which is not a difficult task for them, it could cause a short in your electrical system, or it could even cause a fire.
Rats will also chew on other types of wiring that could ruin your electronics or appliances. If you have rats in your home, it is not uncommon to find that they have chewed the power cord on your TV, refrigerator, computer, microwave, game console, or other gadgets.
Tips To Keep Roof Rats From Coming Back
The most important part of rat control is ensuring that they are unable to come back to your home once they are gone. Some of the things that you can do to prevent another rat infestation include:
- Use caulking or another heavy-duty material to seal up any gaps or cracks you have around your home and on your roof.
- Remove piles of firewood and other debris from around the outside of your home.
- Keep all pantry food items in a metal or glass container. Also, be sure to put your pet's food in a gnaw-proof, sealable container.
- Do not set your outdoor trash cans directly beside your house.
Rats will come into your home in search of food and water. In order to keep them out, you need to make sure that those two things are inaccessible to them.
Contact The Professionals For Total Rodent Control For Your Home
If you think that you have rats in your Los Angeles home, it is best that you consult an experienced and professional pest control specialist. At Kat's pest control, keeping you and your family safe is our top priority. We will inspect your home, eliminate the rats, and come up with a plan that will prevent them from coming back in the future. Give us a call today to schedule your free inspection.