Comfort and safety are two of the most important things we like to have in our homes. We can quite easily achieve this after the first few days into moving. However, some of those who seek disruption in our homes can’t be seen all the time. Sometimes they crawl inside walls and hide underneath the very foundation of our homes. They are small but dangerous because they carry all sorts of diseases.
Wild rodents carry diseases that can easily transfer to humans. Some of these diseases include Hantavirus (HPV) and Yersinia Pestis (Plague). HPV in itself is fatal to some people and can cause serious discomfort. This is the same for Yersinia Pestis. All of these can affect your general way of life and can disrupt the very safety of your home.
Getting rid of wild rodents should be your number one priority. Here are some simple ways to get rid of them.
Survey Your Home
The very first thing you should consider is to find out if you have a rodent infestation. There are many tell-tale signs of an infestation in your home:
- Rat droppings
- Rat holes
- Skittering inside walls or underneath your home
- Small scratches on your walls
- Foul smells in your attic or kitchen
- Scratches on plastic food containers
- Small bite marks on snacks
- Dead rat carcass
If you have at least three or four of these things happening in your home, it’s safe to assume that you have a rat infestation. Getting rid of rats in your home requires a bit of creativity on your part. The first step is to keep your home clean.
Cleaning Time!
A clean home is a rodent-free home. One of the main reasons why wild rodents enter your home is because they can smell food. Another reason is that they might have followed food crumbs from the outside and into your home. One of the main reasons they stick around is because they have easy access to your home.
Rodents love dirty homes because it’s filled with food crumbs, clutter they can nest in, and a safe place to live away from predators. However, by simply cleaning your home, you can stop them from infiltrating your home.
Start by cleaning your kitchen. If you have a couple of ingredients out in the open, ensure safe inside a plastic container. If you have some that are rotten, make sure you get rid of them the moment you can. You should also start organizing the contents of your refrigerator. A disorganized refrigerator can attract all sorts of rodents into your home, especially if they have easy access to it.
Use Repellents
Rats have an acute sense of smell, which means they are generally sensitive to minty and strong odors. This is why a good repellent for rats is peppermint oil.
To create this natural repellent, you should mix a couple of drops of peppermint oil into some water and spray it around your home. If you know of any pathways they like to take quite often, make sure to spray those areas as well.
Peppermint oil is a natural repellent that makes your home smell even much better. But it’s just one example of many rat repellents out there. However, take caution when purchasing chemical ones. It might be dangerous to some pets you have at home.
Don’t Use Rat Traps
Rat traps might be effective during the first few months of the infestation, but eventually, rats inside your home become smart enough to avoid them. Moreover, traps that do end up getting a rodent can kill them quite brutally and leave a nasty smell inside your home. This can be problematic if you forget to get rid of the traps after quite some time.
Repellents are much easier to use than rat traps and can be more effective. However, if you are truly desperate, make sure to put traps where it will work. Look for rat holes or pathways they like to take. Put the traps in those locations and leave some bait. Schedule days when you should check them so that you won’t have a foul odor in your home afterward.
Exterminator
If you’ve exhausted these options and still have rats living in your home, it’s time to get some help. Getting a local rodent exterminator to visit your home should drastically decrease the number of rats inside your home. They will also ensure that they will never return to your home ever again. It’s a simple but effective strategy if the infestation has truly gotten out of control.
We’d like to live in harmony with pests and rodents if they weren’t so dangerous to us. At the end of the day, it’s better to get rid of them.