Is the “Rat Pack” Reuniting in Your Home?
Monday, June 14, 2010 at 4:04PM They are dark-haired, and quick on their feet – but they aren’t Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, or Sammy Davis Jr. They are rats, and if your home has been the victim of an infestation of rats, both your property and your health are at risk. Without rodent control, rats can invade and destroy possessions and structures to the tune of several thousand dollars. Worse than that, rats can carry disease and spread filth.
Although rats today are not the plague carriers of old, they are still carriers of diseases such as Murine Typhus, Salmonella and Weil's Disease, spread from rat’s urine. Other diseases they can carry include Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Leptospirosis, Eosinophilic Meningitis and Rat Bite Fever. Many of these diseases are life-threatening and without rat control, can severely affect the human with whom they reside. They also have the unfortunate bad habit of excreting their wastes everywhere, even where they live and eat. They spread the diseases by running through their own excrement and spreading it everywhere.
Additionally, rats are destructive, chewing, gnawing, and generally destroying anything they can get their little teeth into. Adding insult to injury, many homeowner’s insurance policies do not cover damage done by vermin, so the expense of not only the clean up but of replacing valuable items and repairing such damage is out of your pocket. Rats can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage in a relatively short period of time. Rat control is also mandatory by law in some areas of the country.
Rats can tunnel through insulation, chew through wires and water pipes, and their urine and feces can cause a disgusting odor to permeate your house. Once they find their way in, they can fit through a hole the size of a quarter, and they open the door to other vermin such as raccoon and squirrels. The sound of rats scurrying in the attic or squeaking in the walls is not only annoying but unnerving.
Without rat control, one rat can turn into a dangerous infestation which can not only destroy property and compromise the health of the residents, but may prevent you from selling your home and affect the property value. Some infestations are so bad the render the home uninhabitable. The average gestation time of a rat is only 22 days, and rats can come into heat year-round. The average litter is 7-10 babies, so at that rate, you can be overrun before you even know you have a problem.
If you suspect the “Rat Pack” has invaded your home, the best thing to do is call a rat control expert. The droppings can be a health hazard, and leaving just one rat behind can start the cycle all over again.
Reader Comments (1)
It is important to stop up and seal any place in which rats can enter the home. Rats may be able to access your home through the plumbing or duct work. This is where a professional is very useful s they know exactly where and what to look for.