How To Identify A Rat Infestation

Appearance - Rats have red eyes, and black or white fur. They are typically 6-10 inches long (depending on the type) with a hairless tail. Brown rats (also known as Norway rats) are slightly larger than roof rats, with a thicker body, smaller eyes, and a shorter snout than their black rat cousins.

Behavior - Rats tend to be bigger than mice and other rodents, and are often found in basements, garages, near garbage disposals and occasionally scurrying inside your home. They are nocturnal. Any holes or gaps in your home can be an entrance for rats, as they can fit into holes as small as half an inch. Rat droppings are pellet-like in appearance, dark colored, and about ¼ inch long.

Why You Might Have Rats

Rats, like any other species, need a place to live and breed. Homes, garages, and apartments provide the perfect location for rats to keep safe and be able to eat, sleep and reproduce without disruption.

Holes in your foundation or walls that lead from a basement or outside are an opportunistic entrance for rats to find their new accommodations within your Hudson Valley residence. Being able to fit in ½ inch or less spaces gives rats a leg up in entering your home, even if you have tried to fill in obvious holes and gaps in your walls and foundation.

Having rats does not mean you live in unhealthy conditions, but having food sources accessible could entice a rat to enter and begin living in your home. Professional rat control is recommended before one rat turns into a full blown rat infestation.

Reasons To Treat Your Rat Problem Immediately

Rats tend to scrounge through garbage for food, and this causes them to be carriers of many different bacteria and diseases. They are also known for being carriers of fleas and ticks due to the conditions they tend to live in. Flea bites from rats can cause extreme allergic reactions and ticks can carry Lymes disease.

Beyond topical threats, the bacteria carried on rats can cause leptospirosis, which can affect the liver and kidneys, and salmonellosis, which produces cramping and diarrhea. Their droppings can also harbor a bad virus called hantavirus.

Rat infestations can cause you and your family to become very sick if left untreated.