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What Attracts Rats To Your House?
There are various reasons why rats may be attracted to your property. The most commonly known reason is that they are on the hunt for food. Other reasons why rats may enter your property include warmth, shelter and protection from predators.
Eating Habits
Regarding food, rats are not picky. They will eat most things, not excluding other rats and small animals if other food isn’t readily available.
They are nocturnal animals, so they tend to eat at night. Therefore, this is when you’re most likely to hear them on your property.
They are amazing climbers and can squeeze through gaps and cracks as small as their heads. Furthermore, they are notorious for their ability to gnaw through most materials, meaning not a lot of places are out of bounds for them.
Although the obvious culprit is household rubbish, rats do not exclusively search for leftover foods from humans. Other things that may attract rats are animal feeds, seeds and gardens used to grow fruits and vegetables.
Why Do Rats Need Shelter?
Rats seek shelter for various reasons, the main factor being warmth.
They are known to inhabit sewers since they provide shelter and are a great source of food and water. Sewers are also an advantageous habitat for rats as predators such as larger animals and birds cannot access them.
Unfortunately, living in the sewers has its drawbacks. Rats are prolific breeders; not only can the sewers be cold, but they can also be hazardous for young rats, also known as pups. Due to the sewers used by humans, the water levels can get dangerously high. In addition, as previously mentioned, rats are not averse to eating other rats, which puts the pups in further danger.
To solve the above issues, the female rat will tend to search for a warm and safe place to set up her nest. Luckily for her, the sewage systems are attached to sheltered, dry and warm properties.
What Is The Ideal Shelter For A Rat?
As aforementioned, rats are searching for a place of warmth and shelter to build their nests.
Attics, roof spaces, floor cavities and wall cavities offer warmth, dry living areas, and darkness, ideal for nocturnal creatures. Building materials also come in handy when it comes to constructing a nest.
Alongside these factors, as mentioned previously, the sewers are never too far away with their fantastic food and water sources.
All these factors allow rats to thrive and continue to breed throughout the colder winter months.
Therefore, ensuring that food waste is not left lying around and that cracks and gaps are filled is important. Due to their ability to gnaw through the majority of materials, it is recommended that gaps and cracks are filled with wire wool or hard metal meshes combined with filler. These simple steps will decrease the possibility of rats entering your property.
If you are having issues with an infestation of rats on your property, please do not hesitate to contact us, as we are trained pest control experts. We will ensure that the issue is dealt with most safely and effectively.
