A rat infestation in the garden is worth dealing with. Rats will nest under garden sheds, and also use drainage systems to travel and take shelter. Once you have a rat infestation in your garden it can only be a matter of time before the rats migrate into your house. As the cooler weather sets in rats will be looking for warmth and an easy food source which makes houses prone to rat infestation.
Rats enter your house from the garden via holes in the brickwork, such as external plumbing or pipework points, or will easily chew through air vents. Once rats are in the wall cavity of your house they will travel upwards and into your attic or loft space. Here they will nest and can go unnoticed for some time. You may start hearing noises in your attic and eventually the rats will start to travel around your home in search of food.
A rat infestation in your house can be avoided when you first notice rats or signs of rats in your garden. A rat extermination program should quickly deal with rats in the garden, significantly reducing the likelihood of rats in your attic later in the year. All professional pest control services are fully trained in safe use of rodenticides and rat bait, so are aware of the requirements when it comes to keeping children, pets and wildlife as safe as possible when rat bait is present. There are also rat baits available designed to keep secondary predators safe if they ingest a poisoned rat.
Feeding the garden birds can also attract rats, and sometimes the best advice from pest control services may be to stop feeding the garden birds for a period of time while the rat infestation is dealt with. Speak with your pest control technician regarding the best way to store and provide garden bird food, without attracting rats into your garden.
Rats living in the drains can require more in depth vermin prevention measures, such as a rodent drain survey along with any recommended works, such as a rat gate being fitted. Again, this is well worth it in the long term to prevent recurrent rat infestations. Rats in the garden are a health and safety concern due the carrying of rodent disease, especially if children play in the garden or the garden is used for eating during the Summer.
It’s best to use a local trusted pest control company and phone around for quotes first as the cost of rat pest control can vary. The best choice is to use a pest control company with a good reputation, charging a fair price.
