Rats are shy, nocturnal rodents that seek food, water, shelter and safety in our homes. In many cases rats don't live inside a home but visit during their active hours. Because of that, eliminating the rodents requires a two pronged approach.
How To Keep Rats Out of a Home
First, and most important, block the rats access to your home. Many people focus on filling holes and cracks inside their home. The problem is that in the typical home there are too many pathways through walls, attics, and crawlspaces for you to block them all. A much more effective method to block access is from the outside of your home.
Walk around the perimeter of your home and look the following:
Cut back plants so that they don't touch the building.
Remove tree branches that give rodents easy access to the roof.
Keep garbage cans as far from your home as possible.
Inspect the foundation of your home for openings. Anything larger than a quarter is large enough for a rat to pass through.
Block all openings with rigid metal screen or other appropriate material.
Inspect all vents on the house and under the eaves to ensure they have a screen.
When screening openings, wait until the afternoon. This gives any rodents the opportunity to exit your home and return to their nest.
Rats are excellent climbers and can jump a fair distance. Even openings that are well above the ground need to be blocked too. Any trim on you house may make a perfect ladder for a rat to climb up the side of your home. Removal of shrubs, ivy and tree branches is important for rodent control.
