Rat Control New York

Where You Might See These Rats

• Roof rats are excellent climbers, so they can be found in upper levels of buildings, ceilings, trees, vegetation, or on rooftops.
• Norway rats like to burrow, so they prefer lower levels and areas that are typically unoccupied.

Make note of any sightings or signs, such as droppings and greasy rub or gnaw marks. This will alert your pest control provider at Assured Environments of potential hotspots.

Rat Treatment and Removal

There are many strategies you can try to remedy your rat problem. NYC residents usually go one of these common routes

Rat Traps

There are many types of rat traps available commercially, including snap traps, glue traps, and live traps. Snap traps are the most humane and effective and kill instantaneously. Because rats don’t travel far from their comfort zone, set traps in areas where you’ve seen signs of activity. Bait your traps with smelly foods that will attract attention, like peanut butter, fish, or meat. 

Rat Baits

Baits are tasty lures that contain poison. The problem with baits is that rats will eat them and then go die in some remote location, like in your walls. You may not see the dead rat, but you’ll smell it.

How to Prevent Rats

The best prevention method for rat infestations is keeping your space free of trash, clutter, and leftover food while closing up any potential entryway.

Garbage

Start by protecting your garbage. Rats are attracted to all manner of smells and food leftovers. Keep cans and dumpsters closed and fastened shut whenever you aren’t using them. Take the garbage out to your dumpster every night, and keep it in sealed plastic bags. Clean your dumpster around once a month.

Openings

Secondly, seal the entry points where rats are getting in. Rodents like rats can enter cracks and gaps no larger than a dime. Typically, they find these gaps around cracked foundations, baseboards, utility line connections, ventilation, and roofing. Look for and seal any draft-producing gaps with caulk or fill them with steel wool.

Tips for Rat Prevention

• Clean up spills immediately and keep food sealed.
• Focus on exclusion. Use screens on windows, install door sweeps, and seal gaps, and cracks on the exterior.
• Eliminate clutter in basements and outdoor buildings.
• Work with landscapers to select plants and trees that don’t attract these pests.
• Keep landscaping well-trimmed; avoid having it touch the building.
• Do not overwater mulched areas around a structure.
• Ensure that p-traps are filled with water to ensure they are sealed.
• Use sodium vapor bulbs or LED lights of greater than 550 nm.
• Reduce humidity by using a dehumidifier.

Signs of a Rat Infestation

There are certain tell-tale signs of a rat infestation that can help you identify your problem. These include:

• Droppings
• Chew marks
• Holes
• Frayed cords
• Nests
• Grease marks

Rats leave behind cone-shaped, dark brown droppings wherever they live. They also constantly chew on surfaces such as cardboard, plastic, carpet, or even wood, leaving behind distinctive bite marks. Rats can create holes in your walls and damage electronic equipment. 

They build nests out of any soft material they can transport and collect, including paper, insulation, cloth, and cardboard. Rats build these small, dirty nests in dark, cramped nooks and crannies or inside of walls. As they travel, the grease on rat’s bodies can leave behind smudges on the walls.

What to Know About Rats in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut

Rat Behavior and Diet

Rats are opportunistic omnivores. They’ll eat whatever they can find wherever they can find it, though they tend to prefer grains, fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. They settle in areas with large quantities of food they can easily access.

Unlike mice, rats are not natural explorers. Instead, they tend to find and stick to pre-designated routes between their nests and food sources throughout a building. They often wear these routes down or leave behind trail markings over time.

Rat Reproduction

Female rats typically give birth to eight to ten pups per litter, with gestation lasting only 21 days. They can also mate and give birth up to seven times in a single year, making for a fast-growing population. 

Like other mammals, rats are born helpless and must be nursed by their mothers. However, rat babies quickly reach full sexual maturity in about five weeks. Upon reaching maturity, they will immediately seek out other mates. Rats live for up to three years in ideal circumstances, though they’ll often die sooner.

Other Rat Characteristics

• Rats instinctively avoid certain tastes and odors. However, no rat repellent has been discovered that eliminates an infestation.
• Because rats have poor eyesight, they rely primarily on their sense of smell and taste to discern their surroundings.
• Rats transmit a variety of diseases to humans and other animals (bacterial, protozoan, and viral), parasites (worms), and ectoparasites (fleas, lice, and mites).

Pest Control for Rats

The most reliable way to rid your space of rats and ensure that they don’t return is by hiring a professional New York pest control company like Assured Environments. We can create an effective plan for eliminating rats and identify how they got in to prevent future infestation. 

Assured Environments is the rat exterminator New York homeowners and business owners can trust for fast service. Call us today for a free inspection!