Why Do I Have Rats In My House?

“Why did the rats pick up my abode?” This is a very common question that arises in the minds of people when they find their property to be infested with rats. 

People usually have the idea that these pests are typically attracted to poor sanitation & garbage. However, having them does not necessarily mean that the property is untidy and dirty. 

Any place where there is going to be water, food and shelter, there can be a high possibility of rodents infestation. This means bird feeder spills, pet food and  pet waste can attract these pests in a property as well. The insulation in the attic is also a much preferred place for rats because it provides the much needed warmth that needed for their comfortable stay. Moreover, cats also do not go to attics or inside walls. A home basically has everything that's needed to make a rat's stay pleasurable. Lush or heavy foliage, beautiful landscape or any other type of clutter can also provide shelter to these pests. 

Once attracted to the exterior, rats can easily access the interior of a home through small holes squeezing their bodies. The property might not even have to be dirty for their access. In fact, the house becomes more dirty and shabby after their arrival.  

Rats usually enter houses for seeking protection. They generally look for a safe and secure shelter when they're ready to nest & have babies. However, they can have babies all through the year. 

These pests are generally seen less in homes than mice but they come in more often than people wish they did. They climb trees, siding, wires, stucco, brick or vines for accessing a home. They also jump to the rooftops from overhanging limbs nearby. If a hole is as big as a quarter, they even fit through. Holes which allow pipes or wires to a home are also great entrance points for rats as they are big enough. However, if these holes aren't that big, the creature gnaws them big to fit in. Fireplaces, loose siding & vents are basically their access points. 

If you've found rats infesting your house in Melbourne, take immediate steps to get rid of them. Get in touch with an expert who offers effective rodent control in Melbourne. Controlling their infestation is very important because they are dirty, smelly, noisy and destructive. They can also multiply quickly and cause sever damage to your property. Their infestation can even make you fall sick because they are popular in spreading diseases. 

How to Control Rats in House?

Rats basically eat & contaminate foodstuffs & animal feed. They even damage the containers & packaging materials in which the foods & feed are stored. They cause great problems by gnawing on the electrical wires as well as wooden structures like ledges, doors, wall material and corners. They also tear up insulation in the walls & ceilings to nest. Among the different diseases that they can transit to human beings or livestock are leptospirosis, typhus, salmonellosis & ratbite fever. Plague is also a disease that rats in Melbourne can carry. 

A successful strategy of rat control in Melbourne basically includes three elements – sanitation measures, exclusion & rodent proofing and if needed control of population. 

Sanitation 

This is fundamental to controlling rats and should be continuous. If the sanitation measures are not maintained properly, benefits of the other measures are going to be lost and the rats may return quickly. Good housekeeping in as well as around the buildings are going to reduce the available shelter and the food sources for these species. Off-the-ground storage of lumber, pipes, crates, firewood, gardening equipment, boxes and other household goods are going to reduce the suitability of area for the rats and make the detection easy. Collect trash, garbage and garden debris often and make sure all the garbage receptacles have tightly fit covers. 

Exclusion & rodent proofing 

Exclusion is a successful and long-lasting form of rat control. Openings and seal cracks in the building foundations & any openings for electric wires, water pipes, drain spouts, sewer pipes & vents. No hole that's bigger than ¼ inch must be left unsealed for excluding the rats. Make sure that the windows, doors and screens are fit tightly. 

Controlling the population 

If water, food and shelter are available, populations of rat may increase quickly. While a permanent form of control is to limit water, shelter, food & access to buildings, direct control of population is needed. To control rats indoors, use traps. If toxic baits are used, they may die in inaccessible locations like ceilings or walls. 

Trapping 

This is an effective and safe method to control rates in and around garages, homes and other kinds of structures. It is an affordable option when compared with poison baits and is labour intensive. The best place where trap can be set include secluded areas where rats may seek shelter and travel. 

Rat Problems In Melbourne And Mainstream Practices To Prevent Them

Rats and mice are a great nuisance as pests because they can pose a serious threat to human health and property. They invade homes and industrial units, sneak into cupboards and kitchen cabinets, contaminate food items, chew on insulation wires and furnitures, bite through plumbing pipes and woodwork, and spread a variety of diseases through their bites, urine and droppings. Rat bite fever and Leptospirosis are two of most common diseases transmitted from rats.

Australia's most fast-paced city Melbourne is popular all over the word for its shopping centres, world-class sport, exotic food and the arts. Yet someone living in the suburban regions can vouch for the fact that rats are a common pest, specially in the area including St. Kilda, all the way down the coast to Mornington, also Brighton, Sadringham, Beaumaris, Black Rock and the shoreline of Port Phillip Bay. Besides that, they are also increasing in numbers in the city centre. Scientists at the National Science Agency of Australia, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), have concluded after conducting surveys throughout the city that the two major species of rats (Brown rat and Black Rat) native to Australia, are found in abundance in the sewer pipes and ceilings of houses. According to current statistical records of Archicentre, more than 90 per cent of homes in Melbourne face problems due to rat infestation.

Three types of rodents are most commonly found in Melbourne – the house mice, the Norway rat and the roof rat. The cold weather of the place provides the appropriate reasons for rats to survive and breed in very close proximity to humans, for fundamental necessities like food, shelter and warmth. The small size of house mice gives them easier access to buildings and houses. Norway rats mainly invade supermarkets, grain storage units, sewers, warehouses and basements.

A number of preventive and control measures are practised by cosmopolites and suburban-dwellers alike for controlling rats.

• Holes and entry points, including bottoms of doors are sealed up with gauge mesh and weather seals.
• Rodent bait stations are placed at suspected locations in and around buildings.
• Specially designed traps and tracking powders are used to locate and exterminate their breeding grounds
• Proper sanitation and garbage disposal methods are employed to ensure cleanliness because rats mainly choose untidy places for shelter.
• Pest management organisations have been actively set up all throughout the city helping people to deal with rat control in Melbourne.