Norway rats are wild animals that have evolved to take advantage of human settlements. This makes them perfectly adapted to not only survive in our homes, but to thrive and avoid control efforts. Luckily, modern control methods are very effective, and when used properly, they can get rid of an infestation fast. Let’s take a look at some of the control methods that can be used against rats.
Mechanical control
Mechanical control refers to several methods that can be used to keep mouse populations down. These methods include traps and exclusionary procedures. When it comes to traps, you have everything from glue traps, to snap and electric traps. The goal of the trap is to kill off the rats one by one, or at the very least in small numbers at once. This means that traps are very effective when dealing with small infestations, but ineffective when it comes to dealing with large populations. Exclusionary methods include everything from fencing, to repairing and filling cracks in the exterior of the home, and they are meant to prevent rats from entering the home in the first place.
Chemical control
Chemical control refers to the use of poisons to get an infestation under control. There are many different types of poisons out there, with different mechanisms and toxicity levels. Some rat poisons are extremely toxic, while others are mild, but they leave behind a toxic dead rat. The right choice for the job will depend on your particular circumstance and a pro will discuss the best option with you before starting the control efforts.
It’s also worth mentioning that chemical control is mostly employed when dealing with a large rat infestation. Smaller infestations can be handled by traps, and traps come with the advantage that the cleanup process is very convenient, because all the dead rats will be caught in the trap. With poisons on the other hand, it can be hard to tell where the rats will end up dying, so the clean up process is more intensive.
A pro will perform an inspection as soon as he reaches the property in order to determine the best methods that are going to be used. After the inspection, the pro will implement both preventive and control measures if needed, ensuring that your property will be rat-free for the foreseeable future. If you have any questions about the various Norway rat control methods, or if you have Norway rat infestation that has to be controlled, contact us today.