If you have rats on your Las Vegas property, you could be in a world of hurt. They can wreak havoc on your yard as well as your house. If you suspect you have rats running around outside or hear scratching in your walls and running overhead, you should call a Las Vegas pest control company as soon as possible to get the rats off your property once and for all.
How To Tell If It's Rats Scurrying Around Your Property
One way to know you have rats running around your house is the presence of droppings. These can be ½ to ¾ inch long and are cylindrical but tapered at the ends. Rats are capable of producing 20 to 50 droppings per day. If you find droppings, you should remove them carefully while wearing protective gloves, since they can carry disease.
You may see greasy or dirty streaks along your baseboards or walls. Rats have oily fur and prefer to walk close to walls as they move back and forth between their food source and their nest.
Rats aren't quiet animals, especially at night, when they're most active. You can hear them running around overhead and scratching inside your walls. Rats are especially fond of attics, which provide dark places to hide and make their nests.
If you want to know how to get rid of rats, you need to know the signs that you have them in the first place. A professional Las Vegas rodent control company can help you determine if you have rats, then help you get rid of them.
Rats Cause Property Damage And Spread Diseases
Rats can damage your property in many ways. They leave gnaw marks on your furniture, walls, and pipes. Norway rats also chew on electrical wires inside your walls, causing a fire hazard. Rats' front teeth can grow up to five inches per year, so they have to gnaw constantly to keep them a manageable length.
There are many diseases rats carry, including:
- Leptospirosis
- Rat-bite fever
- Tularemia
- Salmonellosis
If you see any signs of rats in your Las Vegas home, you need professional rat pest control help to avoid further property damage or any disease that could harm your family.
The Safe And Effective Way To Get Rid Of Rats
The safest, most effective way to get rid of rats inside your house is to call a pest control specialist such as Kiwi Pest Control. You shouldn't try to DIY rat control yourself because of the potential for disease caused by rats. You also don't want to have a bunch of dead rats you need to deal with, especially if they die inside your walls.
Four Easy Rodent Exclusion Tips To Prevent Future Rat Infestations
The first thing you need to know to prevent future rats in your house is how to get rid of rats in your Las Vegas yard.
- Clear away brush piles, clean up your flower beds of leaves and other yard debris, and stack your firewood at least 20 feet from your house on a rack that keeps it at least 12 inches off the ground. Doing these things eliminates handy places for rats to nest.
- Remove food and water sources from your yard. Get rid of bird feeders and bird baths, and don't leave pet food or water out after sundown, when rats become the most active. You want your yard to be as unappealing as possible.
- Caulk or otherwise seal any cracks and crevices in your foundation. Use ¼ or ½ inch hardware cloth to cover vents. Put a cap on your chimney. All of these measures can keep rats from getting into your house.
- Cut back your shrubs to no less than two feet away from your house. Make sure the flowers you plant are at least that far away, too. Also, cut trees back, so limbs are six feet or more away from your house.
If you have rats in Las Vegas, you should call Kiwi Pest Control as soon as possible to get rid of them. We provide rat control and exclusion measures. We're a local, family-owned business. Our technicians are ready to come out and make recommendations that are pet and child-friendly because we want to keep your family safe. Contact us now to schedule your free inspection and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Las Vegas.