Rats are among the most stealthy of all pests when breaking into a house. They will go to practically any means to get to the food, water, and shelter you might unwittingly supply. These rodents may inflict a lot of damage just by gnawing on things, and they can spread diseases and parasites. Call a pest control in Maryland company immediately instead of letting rats breed within your home.
How to Recognize an Infestation?
Rats are nocturnal and might be challenging to spot, but other equally essential methods exist to tell whether they have invaded your house.
One of the most prominent indicators is the appearance of tiny heaps of droppings in likely food storage areas, such as drawers, trash cans, and other cabinets. To prevent their teeth from overgrowing or to gain access to food or water, rats have been known to gnaw on electrical lines, molding, and walls. Since rats sometimes try to enter the interior of walls to construct their nests, the holes may be even more significant than they appear.
Last but not least, signs of rat infestation include discovering nesting materials in unsuspected locations such as the attic, closets, or basement.
Infestations of rats pose a severe threat to human health.
Even though rats are tiny, they pose a significant health risk if they enter your house. Parasites like fleas, mites, and ticks often travel from one area to another because rats serve as hosts. Lyme disease, anemia, Rocky Mountain spotted fever, murine typhus, tapeworm, and heartworm are all related to parasites. Particularly problematic in households with pets, they can also cause human problems. Also, the rats can trigger asthma episodes and allergic reactions with their feces, urine, and saliva. Pathogens that cause diseases like leptospirosis, hantavirus, tularemia, salmonella, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis can live in these waste products.
The Ingress and Egress of House Rodents
The subtlety with which rats can invade your home is one of the many reasons why they are such a troublesome pest. First of all, rats are expert climbers, so if trees, bushes, or shrubs are near your home, they can use those to access your attic or upper-story windows. Knowing that some rat species are adept at sneaking into homes via the plumbing or sewer system is essential. Also, rats may fit through openings as small as a quarter, including those in your home’s foundation and around its doors and windows. Open garage doors provide easy access for rats.