Rat Infestation: 5 Common Signs, Hideouts of Rats & Preventive Measures
Are you hearing some strange noises at night and don’t know where they are coming from? This paranoia may eat you alive, but no these aren’t demons it’s just the tiny beasts aka rodents invaded your home. Rat infestation is common today because people do not care much about cleanliness and throw litter everywhere. It may be the last thing you want yourself to worry over.
To trek past through these signs which indicates whether a rodent invaded your place or not, you need to look at the grooves and corners.
Seal up the entry points and if still you are unable to control active infestation, call a pest control company for expert advice.
In this guide, we will delve deeper into rat infestation signs, the hideouts, and the ways you can prevent it.
Table of Contents
7 Signs of Rat Infestation
Are you suspecting some weird noise or irritating scratching sounds in the dead of night? Then, there must be some irritating mice lurking around your rooms. Rat infestation isn’t something you should take light and definitely shouldn’t neglect. Here are some signs which will help you to navigate the hideouts of mice and rats.
- Unexpected Foul Odor
Are you recently smelling something foul out of nowhere? You might already have looked for the signs of rats but couldn’t find anything and then you smell this unbearable odor, it’s a clear indication of rat infestation around you.
Well, the culprit here is rats’ urine which smells like stale ammonia and triggers your nostrils. If you don’t have sharp smelling sense and there’s only one or two rats then you won’t probably smell anything, the smell is noticeable when you have an active infestation.
God forbid, if you got a dead mouse then the sour, strong, unbearable smell won’t go away and linger for days or sometimes weeks much to your dismay.
- Rodent Droppings
What is the most obvious sign of rat infestation? Undoubtedly the rats droppings and believe me it’s the most annoying. The fresh rat’s droppings are moist and dark but as time passes and you don’t pay attention, they become dry and grey.
In several scenarios, you may find only the rat’s droppings but no rats in sight, beware because the critters will be nearby just hiding out from you.
These rats droppings are generally found near the food, so look out under the kitchen furniture, in the pantry, and inside the cabinets.
- Rodent Nests
Another obvious sign of rat infestation is rodents making nests out of fabric, paper, and organic matter all over your house. If you find such stuff accumulated somewhere then a rodent most likely has made themselves at home.
In resultant of such active infestation, you will find droppings within the debris or the bitemarks on edible packaging materials.
- Scratching & Scampering Sounds
Rats tend to stroll around your home during the night when you are asleep, so it’s hard to hear the movement of such tiny demons.
But the scampering and scratching sounds give away the rat infestation. You will hear scratching on the walls and scampering sounds in the hallways which indicate rats’ presence. These invaders can even bury themselves within your walls, so you will most likely hear the scurrying.
- Bitemarks & Gnawed Holes
The little critters won’t leave anything, you will likely find them nibbling on cardboard boxes, drywall, and stuff like that to get remnants of food.
If you observed gnawed holes and bitemarks on the packaging materials and walls then be certain, there’s rat infestation and rats are probably nearby.
Then again, you can determine the size of the rodent by how large the bite mark you have found.
Even rat runaways indicate infestation because they trek their path on the same route every day, so if you suspect their hideout, put some flour on the path and the next day you will find the footsteps.
Hideouts of Rats
Where do rats hide if they aren’t in plain sight? There could be places within your home or maybe outside of your home where you need to check for rat infestation, including:
Kitchen & Laundry Place: The heat of machines lures the rats therefore, you may find them hiding behind dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, and stoves.
Hidden Spaces: The rats might be hiding in the suspended ceilings, running through crawlspaces, and even entering into cavity walls to avoid getting caught.
Attics & Lofts: Check the cardboard boxes where they might reside or you can see if they have found themselves tangled in the loft isolation. Rats droppings or even chewed items giveaway the hideouts.
How To Prevent Rats Infestation?
It’s not at all normal that you have seen these symptoms which give away rat infestation. You must get rid of these rodents immediately. Rodents have the potential to spread diseases and are damaging to your health and overall home.
There are some pest control methods that you can use either alone or in combination.
Stage Rat Traps: Put up the traps as these are your best chance to catch the rodents. You can bait the traps by putting food like peanut butter or cheese as these lure the rats. You can put the traps throughout the home, check these regularly and dispose off the caught ones.
Close The Entry Points To Your Home: Close all the grooves and corners which are as small as 1/4th of an inch. Sealing all these entry points will prevent rats or mice from invading your home.
Remove Trash Regularly: Rats will most likely make their home in the trash, so make sure you are cleaning up piles of debris in the attics and basements.
Consult A Professional: If any of the DIY hacks work, and the rat infestation is still uncontrollable. You should call a pest control company, and ask them to send a professional your way, getting expert help will get you rid of these pesky pests.
Bottom-line
In conclusion, rat infection is rodents invading your home and leaving their droppings behind. These pests will invade every place whether it’s stoves, washing machines, or dryers. You can find them in attics, lofts, or even between the walls or ceilings.
It’s important to identify them and put traps to catch and dispose of such nuisances.
The strange sour aroma, scurrying sounds, droppings or even runaways give away the presence of rats. You can contact professionals if you can’t lure them out.
Give it a read to understand which are the signs that show you have rodents in your home. Have you ever encountered an active infestation?
FAQs On Rat Infestation
How do you treat a rat infestation?
You can do it initially by not feeding them or covering the trash cans. Don’t give them a place to live like replacing wooden places with concrete floors and seal the entry point to keep them out.
How many rats are considered an infestation?
Almost 3-4 rats present at once in your home is considered infestation, and there is a strong likelihood of that because rats are social mammals and love living together.
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