There are many things to do around your house to make sure that sewer rats do not infest it. Most of the prevention tips for keeping sewer rats away are the same as what you’d do for any type of rat or pest. These items should help prevent sewer rats from getting into your house, and ideally not attracting them to your house in the first place.
There are the instances that sewer rats may have already gotten into your house; if that’s the case there are some things you can do to get rid of the problem. One of the best methods to get rid of sewer rats is to call your local pest control service. Or you can set up traps; even sticky traps can be effective. One thing to keep in mind when setting up traps is that if the sewer rats have been in your house they are familiar with the environment because they memorize locations and pathways when they are searching for food and water. This causes a problem because if there is a new object in their path, like a trap, they are going to be more hesitant of it because they know it was not there before. Sewer rats are tricky, dirty rodents. Again it is best to call a local pest control service; you can even hire an organic pest control company if you are worried about using pesticides in your house. We hope that you don’t encounter these problems, but if you do, you’ll know what you’re in for; and these tips will help prevent you from having a sewer rat problem in the first place.
- Check around your house for any openings, such as holes, cracks or crevices. Rats can get into a home in an opening as small as a quarter.
- Look for burrows on your property. They are usually found under your house or anything that is placed on the ground like a shed, half barrel for plants, stacks of wood, or anything else that can be heavy and is sitting on the ground. Sewer rats like to dig their burrow underneath something stable, so try not to keep large items on the ground unless they’re on the concrete.
- Also check your vegetation as sewer rats will dig burrows underneath things planted in the ground as well. Remember they can dig down three feet.
- A popular spot is resting water; in the summer’s monsoon or storm season a lot of water is left on carports or on back porches. It is best to sweep the water into the gutter or into your grass, that way there are no puddles for rats to come drink from.
- If you can, cover your pool as frequently as possible as sewer rats like to swim. It can be dangerous to have sewer rats in your pool even if you’re not using it because they can contaminate the water, putting you at risk to contract one of the diseases sewer rats carry.
- Sewer rats like dog and cat food, if there are food bowls left outside for your animal there is a high possibility sewer rats will stop by. Your pet’s water bowls especially attract sewer rats.
- All stacks of wood or clippings should be kept at a higher level and not on the ground.
- Keep any containers that are outside closed with a tight lid, and on cement rather than the grass. Anything from a trash can to a plastic storage container. Especially a trash container otherwise it’s a rats paradise.
- Make sure to clean trash cans, sheds and crawlspaces on a regular basis. Also make sure that these areas are always dry.
- Pick up animal waste on a daily basis. Yes, as gross as it sounds that is another invitation for a rat to come feed.
- Rats will eat anything so ensure to clean up thoroughly after parties on your patio.
- Keep a clean and sanitized house and yard. Any presence of garbage will attract rats.
