Who would want to have rats in the house? Everyone will most likely agree that they do not wish to see a single rat indoors. However, rats thrive in many places both in the cellar, the garden, or in the loft and oftentimes they are looking for food. Learn more about how you can figure out if there are any signs of rats at your house.
Where there’s a will, there’s the rat’s way
Rats always find a way. A grown-up rat only needs a small crack of about 1,5 cm in order of getting through. You should therefore pay attention to where there are small cracks in your house so that you can repair them and thereby close any potential rat entrances to your home. However, it is not only the small cracks that you need to be aware of. It may also be a good idea to fasten the drain grating. Now you may think that rats cannot possibly get through the small holes in the drain grating. And that is true, but there is still a way for the rat. Rats can in fact lift as much as 3 times their own body weight, so it appears that a rat is strong enough to move the drain grating. Therefore, if you discover that the drain grating has been moved or placed at an odd angle, then it might be too late. If you want to avoid rat problems, then you might consider making sure that the drain grating is tight.
Signs of rats in the garden?
When you put up a bird table in your garden, you might not only be feeding the birds. In some cases, rats might also find a way to your garden, and the rats are likely to pass through several gardens in order to find food. A bird table will therefore be like a sort of buffet for rats.
It is estimated that in about 90% of the cases where rats cause problems in the garden, a bird table is a reason for these unwanted, furry guests. Hence, you should pay attention to if there are leftovers lying around, even after the birds have stopped by. If you stop putting seeds out for the bird, it might be enough in some cases, because the rats might leave your garden. However, if you simply have to feed the birds, then take this advice; try to only put a small amount of food out for the birds.
There’s no place like home
During the summer, rats thrive outside, but when the weather gets colder, they will try to get in. This happens due to the fact that during summer, they have found food in nature and been able to thrive on the fields. However, during autumn and winter, they begin looking for food in other places. Have you noticed any odd sounds or signs; you may already have had rats in the house. If you for instance discover a hole in the disposal bag, then it may be a sign of rats.
Especially during the COVID-19 situation, when people are more at home, it can truly pay off to watch out for rats. Regardless of how long you have been absent from your office and worked from home, you should look for signs of rats both at your workplace and in your house.
You can read more about how you lookout for signs of rats at your working place
How can you avoid rats in your house?
You may wonder what you can do in order to avoid the rats visiting you at your house. Rats need water on a daily basis, and therefore they often seek places with food and water. Therefore, a good thing to keep in mind can be to make sure that foods are kept in a closed container. You should also be very aware, if you have a compost pile in the garden, as it may attract rats.
If you are still a bit unsure about whether you have rats, you can read more about how you look for general signs of rats.
Sources:
- Berlingske. Kommuner melder om rekordmange rotter. (2020, May 29).
- Høy, M. L., & Danborg-Aamand, N. (2018, September 11). Sådan undgår du, at en rottefamilie flytter ind.
- Grønbæk, M., & Danborg-Aamand, N. (2017, May 2). Undgå at mus og rotter kommer ind i din bolig.
- Rentokil. (n.d.). How to prevent rats.
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