Get Rid of Rats and Stop Future Infestations with Comprehensive Rat Control

Rats are smart. They are excellent at hiding, they can learn quickly, and they have the ability to sense danger. Rat extermination, removal, and prevention requires a comprehensive approach that addresses not only the rats you see on your property, but also the ones you don’t see.

That is why rat control isn’t just about laying traps. There is a process. That is because the rats that you see, hear, or suspect on your property are often not your only rats, nor are they always on your property. What you believe to be one or two rats running around in your walls may actually be many more, and the places you see rats may not be the only places they exist.

Rat Behavior in Your Property

Rats enter properties using holes the size of a quarter. These holes can be almost anywhere. If you have a tree over your property, rats may also be entering through your roof. They can find the smallest of entrance points to make their way into your home, and once inside, they’ll often use your home as a safe nest.

But, rats also do not solely live in your home. They often run in and out, foraging for food and water. They also may create new holes, which allows them to do things like enter in your garage or even into your kitchen, since they love to chew through all sorts of material. This means that it’s not always possible to eliminate one area with rats. You have to protect your entire home.

You also can have many rats – many more than you expect. Once one rat finds its way into your property, other rats can smell their path and follow them. Just because you only hear a few rats doesn’t mean that those are the only rats using the same entrances. Other rats may run in and out as well, some of which may or may not use your property as their nest.

How Thorough Pest Control Addresses Rat Behaviors

Understanding these rat behaviors is an important part of effective rat extermination. This is why traps alone are also not effective. First, rats may never run over the traps without good reason. Rats are naturally fearful animals, and – when they have an entrance point they can use to run in and out of your property – many of them will simply avoid the traps and find food elsewhere. They need a reason to approach the trap.

Similarly, if you kill only the rats on your property, new ones will come. You have to address all potential rats by sealing entrance points and making it impossible for rats to go in and out. This is also what will help push rodents to run over the traps. Not only can sealing holes prevent other rats from getting in, but it also prevents the existing rats from running out. This causes them to have fewer places to go and more desperation, leading to them to the traps.

This is the process that pest control companies like ExtremPRO use to eliminate pests. We find and seal the entry points, determine their paths, lay rat-specific traps, and more, all to make sure your property is truly rat free. Serving Gainesville, Warrenton, Centreville, and beyond, call us if you need rat control today.