Why Do I Keep Seeing Rats in My Home?

We do appreciate that there is nothing worse than sitting down to enjoy a film with the family, only to be disturbed by something large and unpleasant running across the floor. Rats are part of everyday life now, something they definitely wouldn't have been a few decades ago. The populations of these rodents are booming, and their invading more and more areas of land that once would have been human-focused. It's not just rats that are choosing urban spots over more rural ones; all sorts of wild critters are becoming huge problems for homes and businesses alike, across many parts of the globe. This isn't a problem just specific to North America. 

Rats definitely aren't a problem specific to North America. In fact, these rodents are found pretty much everywhere in the world, with the exception of the coldest places on earth where very few animals would survive. What has caused their impressive boom? We have. It's a bitter pill to swallow, but the reason why you — and most of us — are seeing more rats in our homes and businesses, as well as on the streets around us, is because we are letting them run riot. 

If you see rats in your home, there's a hole somewhere that has allowed them to gain access. There might even be many holes. Whether it's just one or a hundred, however, you'll need to get rid of them. There are various approaches you could take, but the most effective is by using snap traps, also known as kill traps. 

If you do not seal up the hole or holes that are letting them get in, they'll just keep getting in. That's the long and short of it, and the news gets a lot worse … They can chew through virtually any material that you plan to put up as a barrier for them, and they'll also chew on small patches of damage that you won't have spotted yet, to make them large enough to then be able to squeeze through. 

Alongside hole-sealing, regular inspections and home/building maintenance is required to keep rats out. 

A rat-proof home isn't an impossible goal, but it is only achievable when you combine your sealing mission with other modifications, such as trimming trees back to prevent wild critters getting to the attic or roof, sealing up the spaces beneath decking and porches, and removing all sources of food. If there is a steady source of food, the rat will not give up your home. Rats generally follow the food, setting up a nest nearby afterwards. They'll follow the food right to your back yard, and then they'll try to find an entrance point, creating one if there isn't already a doorway available.



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