Most people know that having rats inside your home can be disastrous. But you may not know that these bothersome rodents can also cause many problems outside of your home. If rats infest your property, they can cause damage to your landscape, garden, storage buildings, and even your vehicles.
You can look for many signs to see if you have rats living on your property, such as holes in the ground and gnaw marks on your outdoor structure. Leaf Pest Management can offer quick and effective help if you find any of these signs. We provide customized rat control in Los Angeles and can give you expert advice that is sure to keep the rats away from your property.
Common Rat Entry Points: Securing Cracks And Gaps In Outdoor Structure
Rats are always on the lookout for safe and reliable shelter, especially during the winter when nights can bring frigid temperatures. Rats can squeeze through small gaps and cracks around your storage buildings and other outdoor structures. Their flexible bone structure allows them to fit through openings smaller than their bodies.
If an entry point is not big enough, they have strong teeth that can easily chew through hard surfaces to make the hole bigger. When chewing through wooden structures, they often look for an area with softened or rotting wood. Make sure to check the structure for fallen tree branches or other objects that could cause damage to your building.
If you aren’t sure how the rats can access the structure, have a qualified rat exterminator inspect your property.
Trash Management: Securing Bins And Deterring Rodent Intruders
Another key to achieving total rat control is ensuring there is nothing on your property a rat will find attractive. When rats are looking for a quick meal, they will usually try to find a trash can or dumpster. They have a great sense of smell and can smell both fresh and rotting foods from several feet away.
Getting rid of the outdoor trash cans at your home is likely impossible. However, there are a few things that you can do to ensure that your garbage is not attracting rats to your property. Some of the different strategies our rat exterminators use to deter rats include:
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Secure all garbage inside a trash bag instead of sitting loosely inside the can.
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Keep the trash cans as far away from your home or outdoor structures.
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Install motion-activated lights around your garbage cans.
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Make sure all outdoor trash cans have a tight-fitting lid on them.
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Pick up any loose garbage on the ground beside the can.
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Spray your garbage cans out every so often to prevent strong-smelling odors.
Rats don’t like the smell of peppermint oil or ammonia. Consider using one of these chemicals as a natural rat repellent around your trash can.
If you have tried one or more of these tips and are still seeing rats around your property, you should contact a rat removal team as soon as possible.
Pet Safety Measures: Ensuring A Rat-Free Environment For Animals
Rats can be dangerous to have around your pets. They can carry several diseases, such as leptospirosis and hantavirus. Your pets are more likely to catch these diseases because they will bite or come into direct contact with the rat.
If you want to keep your pets and your property safe from rats, give our experts at Leaf Pest Management a call today. We provide customized rat control in Los Angeles and surrounding areas, preventing these dangerous creatures from invading and destroying your property.
