Home Improvement

Steps to Follow for the Safest Rat Removal in Vancouver

Rats can’t survive without food, water, and shelter, and they infest properties for the same reason. Usually, rats infest properties in colder months to get themselves a shelter alongside food and water. Nonetheless, homeowners and business owners can always count on a pest control service, Pesticon, for rat removal in Vancouver. Professionals also deploy the safest methods for rat control to ensure everyone on the property remains safe except rats. We shall also discuss the steps for the safest rat extermination from a property. 

Steps to Follow for the Safest Rat Removal 

Here are the steps you need to follow for the safest rat removal from a property:

Step #1: Fix the Openings 

You should first check the outside of your property for holes or gaps of the size of a quarter or larger. If you see them, you should repair all openings with rodent-proof materials like ¼ inch, 18-22 gauge hardware cloth. You should install metal weather-stripping beneath doors to cover the gaps.   

Step #2: Get Rid of the Food Sources from Your Property

Make sure garbage cans remain covered all the time. Pick ripen fruit, nuts, and vegetables & throw away compost fallen fruits. Only feed your pets during daylight hours and get rid of uneaten food immediately. Don’t store food in garages and storage sheds at night unless you have rat-proof covered metal containers.

Step #3: Utilize Rat Traps and Not Poison Baits

Poison rats can die inside walls or attics that may create odours and attract flies. Instead, you use snap traps for rat removal in Vancouver inside walls or attics if rats are inside. You can place snap traps at entry points or where you notice rat droppings. Make sure you cautiously place traps while children and pets are around. You can bait the traps with peanut butter or food that rats eat. Also, tie-down traps to avert injured rats from dragging the traps away and dying inside the walls. You should check how traps are doing at least twice a day for a week.

Step #4: Use Poison Bait outside Your Home

Make sure you keep the poison bait away from your children and pets. Before you use the poison bait, you must rodent-proof your home. Always read the label to correctly follow the directions to use poisons. Multi-dose and anti-coagulant poisons are effective against rats, and rats may feed on the bait for several days and die. You have to place the poison bait in an enclosed bait station where you see rats and their droppings. Ensure you place it in a protected area, like woodpiles or thick vegetation. Check bait stations twice a day and add bait if necessary. Once you find dead rats, seal them in plastic bags, and put bags in the trash.

Step #5: Get Rid of the Rat Habitat

If you realize that rats have stopped eating the bait, you should try getting rid of the rat habitat. Get rid of all the trash and debris. Stack woodpiles, lumber, and household items. Stack them 18 inches above the ground and 12 inches away from fences and walls. Trim trees, bushes, and vines 4 feet away from the roof. Get rid of heavy vegetation, such as ivy, pyracantha, etc., from buildings and fences. Cut and thin vegetation to let the daylight in to help you see and remove the hiding places.

Why Aren’t Rats Welcoming Pests?

Getting rid of rats is important because rats can attract snakes because they serve as a food source for snakes. Moreover, rat bites and scratches may result in disease and rat-bite fever. Besides, diseases that rats can transmit are deadly if no immediate actions are taken. Rats can also cause enough damage to property while gnawing on insulation and electrical wires that can lead to electrical hazards. However, rats gnaw on objects to make a nest for themselves. Thus, you must get rid of the rats immediately if they infest your property.      

Conclusion

Rats can infest properties in the winter to seek shelter and get food and water for their survival. Calling professionals is the right thing to do for rat removal in Vancouver. Additionally, you can safely remove rats from a property while following the steps as mentioned below:

Step #1: Fix the Openings 

Step #2: Get Rid of the Food Sources from Your Property

Step #3: Utilize Rat Traps and Not Poison Baits

Step #4: Use Poison Bait outside Your Home

Step #5: Get Rid of the Rat Habitat