How to Find Out Where Rats are Getting Into Your Home

The idea of sharing a home with rats is enough to make the skin crawl. Rats are dirty pests that will contaminate your home with urine and feces, potentially spreading numerous diseases like salmonellosis and leptospirosis. A rat infestation can also result in major property damage, as these rodents will relentlessly gnaw on almost everything found in your home in Raleigh.

If you've been having issues with rats in your home, it's important to address the problem at the source. By finding out how rats are getting into your home in Raleigh, you can take measures to end the infestation once and for all.

Locating Rat Entry Points in Your Home

Following signs of rat activity within your Raleigh home may lead you to the entry points that the rodents have been using to get inside. Oftentimes, the first sign of a rat presence in a home will be rat droppings lying around. While rats don't usually have a designated "bathroom" area, their droppings will pile up in areas where rats are most active - such as where they're feeding, where their nests are, and where they're coming into and out of your home. If you find an abundance of rat droppings near a hole in the wall or a vent opening, it's a safe bet this is a rat entry point.

Droppings aren't the only sign of a rat problem that could lead you to the pests' entry points. Rats continually need to file down their incisors by gnawing on such things as electrical wires, plastic pipework, and wooden beams. Rats will also leave grease marks on walls when they rub against them with their oily fur. Following gnawing and grease marks may lead you to the places where rats are getting into your home.

Another good way to locate rat entry points is to conduct a thorough inspection of your home, both inside and outside. Common rat entry points include gaps along the foundation, holes in damaged roof shingles, large spaces under doors, and vent openings without proper covers. Any such hole or gap that's larger than half an inch is big enough for rats to get inside. By carefully inspecting your home exterior, you can locate rat entry points and make a plan to close them off

Inside your home, you should check for signs of rat activity in remote spaces like your attic, garage, and crawl space or basement. Rats often build their nests in these areas, using shredded materials like insulation and drywall. You might also be able to locate rat entry points from the inside by inspecting walls, windows, and openings leading to the outside for any sign of damage that could allow rats to enter your home.

When you find suspected rat entry points in your Raleigh home, there are a few ways you can go about confirming this. A classic method is to sprinkle flour or baking powder near the entry point and then wait overnight. Rats are nocturnal, so if they're using the entry point at night, you should find little footprints through the powder the next morning. A more modern method is to set up motion-activated cameras pointing at the possible entry points. This will allow you to document footage of rats coming and going, and may help you identify the specific rat species and their numbers.

Schedule a Professional Rat Inspection in Raleigh

Rats can be elusive; if you're having a hard time finding out where they keep entering your home, it may be time to hire a professional rodent control company to perform an inspection. Experienced rat removal specialists are familiar with the behaviors of local rat species, helping them to identify rat entry points and strategize how to solve your rodent problems. Give Sustainable Pest Systems a call today if you're interested in our rat control services in the Raleigh area!