Some areas are more infested by rodents than others. Once they become a target of these pests, a variety of problems are bound to come along. One of the favourite places where rats like to live is roof attics. Roof rats are also known as Fruit rats, Alexandrian rats, Palm rats, and Ship rats. While effective services for Rodent Removal in Hobart might be the first thing that crosses your mind, you ought to determine the type of rats that have infested your place in the first place. Read this to the end and learn the best ways to identify and eliminate roof rats.
Here are Some of The Differences That Would Help You Differentiate Roof Rats from Normal Rats-
Size and Appearance
Normal rats are usually sewer and brown in colour. Roof rats, on the other hand, are black in colour and have small-sized bodies with tails longer than the former. They can grow to a maximum of 18 inches in length and weigh about 5 oz. Roof rats also have smooth fur, large ears, pointy faces, and very little hair.
Nesting Areas
Roof rats prefer to build their nests above the ground and are usually good climbers. When living in an outdoor environment, they like to build their nests in shrubs, trees, dense vegetation, and wood piles. Indoors, they prefer to build their nests in the upper areas that are usually warm. While rats in the roof are quite common, you can also find them in ceilings, cabinets, laundry rooms, garages, pool areas, patios, inside walls and sheetrock. Since they require water for sustenance, they often chew on plastic and metal pipes, resulting in serious structural damage.
Here’s How You Get Rid of Roof Rats
Once you are sure of Rat Infestation, there are many ways to get rid of it. Here are the most effective ones –
Rat Baits
When using traps, baits can help you lure your target faster. Rats get attracted and get caught easily. Roof rats have a comparatively different diet and find nuts, berries, dried fruits, snail shells, peanut butter, etc. to be the most tempting items. Rats are also smart and cautious of any food sources that they spot in their surroundings. Hence, it’s a good idea to tempt them into the trap by setting a bait without actually setting up the trap. This builds their confidence and trust in the trap, making it easier for you to catch hold of them.
Snap Traps
Although an old way of catching rats, snap traps are actually a very effective method. This consists of using a metal bar in which food is hung. The metal bar, when stimulated by the rat, snaps down, ultimately killing or trapping the rat. Since you can trap only one rat at a time, it’s advisable to set multiple traps to get rid of all the rat infestation. Some of the advantages of using such traps included- they are disposable, recyclable, can be used both indoors and outdoors, non-toxic, and the rat is visible inside it.
Glue Traps
Since glue traps do not need to be set or require any baiting, these are quite easy to use. All it takes is placing the same along walls where rats mostly run. The most effective glue rat traps consist of a proprietary glue formula that prevents the rat from escaping by holding it securely, and the best way to control rodents.
Conclusion
Using all these effective methods, you can easily get rid of rats on the roof or any other place. If you are too tired to do it yourself, hiring a professional pest control company might be the best.
