What Are Common Rat Control Solutions

How Do You Get Rid of a Rats Nest?

Rats do nests in your home, but how do you get rid of a rats nest and be sure you have done a thorough job to guarantee no re-emergence? Getting rid of rats might not come as easy as you want it to. But with the right tools, preventive measures, and professional rat control assistance, you could become rat-free sooner.

One thing is certain; having a rat’s nest within your home will only keep the chain of command open. They gain access to your home with the sole aim to meet their basic needs. Rats need access to regular food, water, and shelter. And guess what, you can meet all three needs. But you sure do not want to because it can have a negative impact on your health and property. However, on health grounds, you can’t jump ahead to remove all rat nests immediately as it requires some precautions.

Why Get Rid of Rats Nest?

These unwanted guests have been one of man’s closest neighbours but also his nemesis. You provide free shelter for rats, but they end up inflicting health challenges plus costly maintenance on you. In a bid to survive, rats are natural spoilers. They eat up your food, both cooked and uncooked, spoil your crops, important documents. Rats destroy fittings within your facility when they chew containers just to have access to food. They chew doors, insulation system, cables, paper-box, etc.

If you allow rats bud within your environment or home they will contaminate your food and atmosphere. They could cause you to fall ill or suffer fatality if you contract diseases like Hantavirus, typhoid fever, Salmonellosis, food poisoning, etc. And that’s why that nest needs to go. So, how do you get rid of rats nest?

What Does a Rat Nest Look Like?

Rats usually love having their nesting place in your home. That way it becomes easier for them to sneak out and back into hiding when the need arises. Maybe it’s also due to the need for food or to run from the cold winter season. However, for rats to have an inlet there should also be an outlet that takes them out of the home. Once you can spot a rat burrow within the premises it becomes easier to stop their invasion. The trick they rats use it to dig around the foundation of your building so it doesn’t become so obvious. Rats could also dig burrows around overgrown weeds, shrubs or plants that are close to the building. Take note when searching for rat burrow, it doesn’t have to be more than 2 to 4 inches wide. Rats can actually squeeze themselves through spaces that are less than half an inch wide.

Rat Holes in the Ground
Rat Holes in the Ground

You can also spot the access into a rat nest indoor. However, you have to look out for tiny holes, crevices or space around the edges or corners of a building. Most times rat nest could be found inside the walls or hollow blocks of a house. Another place to locate rat nest is inside the attic or ceiling. There are several types of rats you would come across more often, the roof rat, field and Norway rats. Roof rats usually like heights, so they climb walls, wires, ropes, plumbing pipes and into the ceiling. Field rats stay more within farmlands while Norway rats usually gain access by burrowing.

How to Get Rid of Rats Nest

Now, it’s not the time to get to work immediately to get rid of a rats nest. First, you need to ensure you have the right tools.

First things, first

To begin with, you should have a clear picture of the type of rat infestation you are dealing with. It’s possible you might have a few rats giving issues. But with a nest already in your home, you are getting close to an infestation. Rats can produce 8 to 12 litters containing 2 to 15 babies annually. But the best person to help establish the level of seriousness is a professional pest control company or Humane wildlife removal professional.

Take out dead rats

A rat trap can help you catch or deter any living rodent in the home. There is a wide variety to pick from; the live trap, snap trap, electronic trap, ultrasonic sound device, etc. It’s better to get rid of the rats first before removing the nest. Put on gloves and then get the dead rat into a plastic bag. Then take the dead rat in the bag to the garbage outside the home.

Clean out the Room

Before commencing the cleaning exercise, make sure to allow enough sunlight and air into the room for like 30 minutes. Please do not use a vacuum cleaner to avoid blowing up dust possibly containing viruses from the rodent.

To clean out the room do the following:

  • Put on hand gloves (vinyl or rubber gloves) and nose mask.
  • Fill a bowl or bucket with the desired quantity of water.
  • Include 1½ cup bleach into 1 gallon of water.
  • Deep the mop into the water containing bleach and mop all likely infected areas.
  • Check the walls and floor for marks that look like black streaks, scratches all facing the nest and make sure to clean those areas properly.
  • You can also use vinegar to clean infected areas to eliminate scent trails. Rate scent trail serves as an invitation to other rodents outside the home.
  • Soak rat droppings and marks of urine with the bleach solution and leave for up to five minutes before cleaning.
  • Use paper towels or rags to carry rat feces and then place inside a plastic bag.
  • Dispose of the trash bag containing the feces into the garbage bag or can outside the house for a waste removal company.

Get Rid of Rats Nest

Before touching the rat’s nest, apply the bleach solutions on the nest and leave for five minutes to kill germs. Make sure to leave your rubber or vinyl glove.

Now, it’s time to carry the nest. Place the nest inside a plastic bag big enough for it and seal the bag properly. It might also be nice to place the plastic bag and nest into another plastic bag before tying the mouth. Afterward, place both the bag containing the nest, clean up rags and paper towel into the waste bin outside the home. For your safety, it is best to clean the affected area multiple times, even now after disposing of the rats. Also, you must throw the rubber gloves and mop tops used for the cleanup exercise to avoid likely infection. Please remember to take off the clothing worn while cleaning and wash with disinfectant. Immediately you are done with the cleaning and clearing of work tools you need to take your bath.

On how to get rid of a rats nest, the process does not end with eliminating the rat and the nest. Prevention and control is always the best way to remain rat-free. Knowing how to apply control and peventive measures is important. But for best results with dealing with rats, it is always best to seek professional pest control service. Or seek the services of a humane Wildlife removal company to avoid infection. While do-it-yourself techniques and dependence on natural remedy are good the rate of success could be limited. Working with professional help with you identify the causes, solutions and long-term control measures. Call our Pest Control Toronto company.

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