You’ve heard the footsteps. You’ve found the droppings. There’s no doubt about it: there’s a rat in your home.

Now, all you’re wondering is how it got in and how you could have prevented this from happening in the first place. “Is there rat control near me that could have stopped this from happening?”, you wonder.

The answer is yes. And here’s how that rat control company goes about keeping rats away.

Make Sure Gaps Are Filled

Your home is bound to possess a variety of different gaps. These gaps could exist in your home’s siding, in its roofing, in its foundation, and much, much more. But regardless of where these gaps exist, they could serve as passageways to hungry rats.

The solution? You have to fill them. The more successfully you can fill these gaps, the fewer areas there are through which rats can make their way into your home.

Replace broken siding, swap out missing roofing, patch up cracks in your foundation, and do whatever else is necessary to ensure that your home is secured.

We advise inspecting your home monthly to ensure that no new gaps have presented themselves. You never know when a new one might form.

Eliminate the Places Where They Tend to Congregate

Like all animals, rats are searching for shelter. This is one of the reasons that they make their way into homes in the first place.

But where do they find shelter before making their way into homes? In crowded and cluttered areas. These run the gamut from woodpiles to scrap heaps to heavily vegetated areas and the like.

Want to keep rats away from your home? Then you need to keep these types of areas away from your home as well.

So, throw away useless junk, pull up weeds, and keep piles of wood at the edge of your yard. The clearer your yard is, the less welcoming it will be.

Keep Food Locked Away

When rats come into a house, it’s generally because they sense that food is present. As such, if you want rats to stay away, you need to keep your food locked up as well as possible.

Make sure to pick up anything that you spill, ensure that your trash doesn’t sit any longer than a day or two, and seal up any and all food packages. It doesn’t take a lot for food to attract rats. The scent alone will have them scurrying in.

Have pets? Make sure to feed them in an organized manner. Don’t let their food sit around uncovered from sun up ’til sundown. Feed it to them within the span of an hour and then bundle it up until the next serving.

Create Separation Between Your Home and Branches

Rats aren’t exactly known for their long-jumping ability. However, they can certainly climb. If you allow tree branches or hedges to overhang your roof, you could be allowing rats to access areas that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to access.

The solution, of course, is simple. You have to trim up your trees and hedges on a regular basis. The further you can keep them from your home, the less accessible it will be to rats in general.

Don’t Count on Your Cats

You’ve likely heard that cats will keep mice and rats away. By and large, this is, indeed, the case. The exception is when rats are on the large side, at which point, cats want nothing to do with them.

All of that said, you don’t want to count on your cats to catch rats in your home. First of all, they might not be able to get the job done. And, even if they do, they stand to take on a variety of rat-carried diseases.

You don’t want to sacrifice your cat’s health as a means of keeping your home free of rats. There are plenty of other ways to keep rats away, all of which will ensure the health of your furry feline friend.

Keep Your Home Clean

As was noted above, rats love cluttered areas. This doesn’t just mean piles of junk that are sitting out in your yard — it means clutter that exists in your home as well.

As such, if you want to repel rats, you need to do everything in your power to keep your home clean. Find a storage spot for everything you own and pack it away as soon as you’ve finished using it.

Do the dishes right away. Clean up spills the second they happen. And sweep, vacuum, and mop frequently. The cleaner you can make your home, the less likely it is that rats will show up inside of it.

Bring in a Pest Control Professional

If all else fails and you’re still dealing with rats in your home on a regular basis, you would be wise to utilize the services of a pest control professional. Pest control specialists are well-versed in the prevention and removal of rats and will do everything necessary to keep them at bay over time.

Once the professional has arrived at your home, he or she will inspect it so as to locate potential rat entry points. He or she will then set traps up around these areas. If necessary, poisons will be used as well.

I Need Rat Control Near Me

If you find yourself thinking, “I need rat control near me,” and if you’re in the Eastern Oregon area, look no further than Altus Pest Control. We’re well-versed in the repelling of rats and can help remove them from your home as well.

With a team of dedicated rat control specialists on our side, we’ll eliminate your rat infestation for good.

Contact us today to get the process started!