One of the most common uninvited visitors is rats. They can spread a variety of diseases and cause significant property damage. Stopping them from entering your property in the first place, as well as restricting exposed food sources, are the most important ways to prevent this. They don’t require a wide aperture to enter your home; a little one will suffice. Once you’ve determined that you have a rat problem, the first step is to seal all rat entry points to prevent new rats from entering because even if the existing rats are killed, new ones can enter.
Rat droppings, broken food packages, and unexpected fly or cockroach infestations are the most common symptoms that you have a rat in your home. You can also find rats in toilet who enter through your drains. It would help if you searched every inch of your building for potential access points. However, make sure that these arguments are given more weight.
The Potential Rat Entry Points In A House Are:
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Wall Cracks
Even the tiniest cracks in the walls might allow rats to enter. They can even chew their way around little gaps to make bigger ones. Caulk can be used to cover small cracks, and waterproof sealant or wood can be used to seal wider cracks to prevent this from happening.
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Vents
Vents usually have apertures big enough for a rat to squeeze through. They can also fit through the openings between the vents. Metal screening can block the vents and the gaps around them to prevent this.
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Gaps Around Windows
Rats can sometimes get in through the crevices or cracks around the windows. It would help if you also filled in these spaces.
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Roofs
Rats can enter through various points where the top ends or where different roof sections meet. Ensure to thoroughly inspect them and use a waterproof sealant to seal any gaps.
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Chimney
A chimney is probably the easiest way for a rat to get into the house. Rats can easily squeeze their way inside a house through a vent. A chimney grate or a cover can be fitted to keep rats away.
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Garage
Rats can wreak havoc on your garage even more. Ensure the door is securely locked, that there is a little space surrounding the door as possible and that all crevices are sealed. Reduce the amount of debris in your garage so you can find any rats.
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Toilets
If rats get into the water pipe, they frequently come through sinks and toilets. Rats are good swimmers, which is a fun fact to know. As a result, they’ll have little trouble breaking into your home through the restroom. So you should make sure you have grates or screens installed on your drains to keep them out before looking for the rats in toilets. Closing the toilet seat coverings is also a good idea.
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Basement
Rats love to lurk in dark, empty basements and continue to cause havoc. You might not even notice the rats in there if you’re not careful enough.
