Vermin are one of the most notoriously hated pests – and having them in your home can cause absolute havoc. While they can make great pets, street rats can cause untold destruction to a home, not to mention a serious hygiene hazard. In addition to causing property damage due to their eating building materials, they also can contaminate food and spread diseases.

Rats can be found all over the San Diego area. Pro Pacific Pest Control is here to offer rat control in San Diego and can help you get rid of any pests that are causing a problem. Here are some tell-tale signs that you could have rats in your home, and what you can do about them.

Signs You Have a Rat Problem

There are clear and obvious signs when you have a problem with vermin. These might include:

•         Droppings: The most recognizable is finding animal droppings and rub marks along the baseboards.  Because rodents are creatures of habit the move along the same path leading to easily noticed marks along the paths they scurry.
•         Scratching sounds in the floors: Rats are most active at night, so if they’re burrowing underneath your home, you may hear scratching sounds underneath the floors as they scurry around.
•         Nests: Rodents like to nest in warm, dark places near a food source, so look behind appliances like the fridge or freezer in your kitchen or garage. The nests are made from found objects, like shredded paper or cloth.
•         Foot and tail prints: Use a flashlight to look for footprints and tail markings. You can also spread talcum powder on areas you suspect rats to be roaming to make their tracks easier to see.

Types of Rat

If you’ve noticed signs of these pests in your home, you may also be able to determine what type of rat you’re dealing with. There are several different breeds that can be found in Southern California.

•         Roof rats are known for their climbing abilities and tend to nest in attics and crawl spaces instead of burrowing underground like other breeds. This rodent is likely to make holes in walls and leave marks along the floorboards.
•         Norway rats, on the other hand, are not typically found in homes in the San Diego area. Instead, they live outside of homes burrowing into the ground. They are much larger than Roof rats.
•         Wood rats tend to build nests out of sticks and other debris.  While they generally don’t nest inside of homes, they have been found in many outbuildings like sheds and garages.

What to Do About Them

The best way to handle an infestation is to use non-lethal traps inside the home.  This way there won’t be an issue of odors from a dead animal lingering in the walls or developing an issue with flies.

Once the inside of the home is rid of the vermin, we use lethal traps outside of the home to help minimize the risk of a future infestation. We’ll also patch up any holes they’ve left behind and got rid of any nests the rodents have lived in.

Rats are an unwanted problem that luckily can be dealt with quite easily and quickly because the signs are so noticeable.  If there are droppings, marks along the baseboards, rodent nests or signs of burrowing around the outside of your home, contact Pro Pacific Pest Control right away for help with rat control in San Diego.