Rats that enter your Eugene property can be a major issue, especially if you aren’t sure how to get rid of rats in your home. It’s important to understand the dangers of Eugene, OR rats and engage in proactive prevention to keep rodents away from your property.
Rat Behavior & Dangers
There are two types of rats that you may encounter in Eugene – the Norway rat and the roof rat. Norway rats range in color from brown to grey and can grow up to ten inches long, excluding tail length. They prefer to live in dark, moist areas such as sewers, basements, and crawl spaces. On the other hand, roof rats have darker black coats and can grow to eight inches long, excluding the length of their tail. True to their name, they make their homes in higher-up areas such as roofs or attics.
Because both these types of rats have lived and evolved alongside humans for so long, they have a highly dependent relationship with humans. Rodents are especially skilled at scavenging their food, water, and shelter in human structures and are highly adaptive when it comes to infiltrating and surviving in populated areas; this is part of what makes these pests so difficult to prevent and remove from your property.
Additionally, the diseases rats carry are easily introduced into your home when they invade, along with a major risk of destruction and parasites. Rats will chew through materials such as cinder blocks, wood, plastic, and electrical wires and will scratch up the soil around your home. Diseases rats carry include hantavirus, leptospirosis, rat-bite fever, salmonellosis, and tularemia. They may also introduce fleas, ticks, and mites into your home that can start their own infestation.
Rat Prevention Tips
To prevent rats from infiltrating your Eugene property, you can follow some of the following prevention tips:
- Inspect your house for potential entry areas and seal them up with a chew-proof material such as steel wool or hard cement. Be sure to be thorough, as rats can climb through holes as small as a quarter. Additionally, you can invest in a chimney cap to stop rats from entering through your roof.
- Seal up all food waste and trash tightly in order to ensure the aroma can’t escape and attract rats. You may also want to dispose of your trash in tightly sealed trash cans and properly store all leftover food and pet food. Also, make sure no dirty dishes or food and liquid spills are ignored.
- Keep your yard clear of debris, especially fallen fruit, and make sure the grass stays trimmed low to prevent rats from being attracted to the fruit and to reduce the number of outdoor hiding spots for rats.
- Cut back overhanging branches to prevent rodents from climbing up trees and accessing your roof.
- Consider adopting a cat to help deter rodents from your property. Even the scent of a cat around your house will stop rodents from coming too close.
Expert Rat Control
While rat traps and DIY methods are available, these may not be the best option for ridding yourself of rats. The safest and effective way to handle a rat infestation and get rid of rats at home is to contact the home pest control and commercial exterminator professionals at Infinity Pest Solutions. Our experts can provide targeted solutions and eliminate rats at the source, leaving your home pest-free.