The Pied Piper of Hamelin makes rat removal look too easy: just play music and get them to follow you out of town! But we live in Round Rock, Texas, not a fairy tale. To get rid of rats around here, we need to get a little more creative than playing a magic pipe.
Here’s what our years of experience in pest control has taught us about rat removal and what Round Rock homeowners can do to get rid of rats once and for all.
Find and Seal Gaps in Your Home
Rats rarely knock on your front door and wait for an invitation. If you want them out of your home for good, you need to first figure out how they got there.
Do a thorough inspection of your home to locate any gaps or holes that might allow rats to pass through. Seal those gaps so that “newcomers” don’t have a way in. From there, it’s a matter of getting rid of the squatters.
Eliminate Their Food Source
Rats are very much like people in that they need food to survive. Once the food stores run dry, they realize the party is over and move on.
You can help them get going even faster by taking away any potential food source. Rats aren’t too picky — they’ll just eat whatever crumbs or spills end up on your floor, your pet’s food, and even garbage. Do yourself a favor by cleaning up any food messages promptly. Take out your trash frequently and ensure trash cans are well sealed. Store your food in airtight containers and don’t leave food in your pet’s bowl for extended periods.
The goal is to be as inhospitable as possible so the rats won’t feel welcome.
Declutter and Clean
Rats don’t like to be out in the open. They prefer small dark corners, tunnels, or nests, so a cluttered home feels like a five-star hotel to them. Curb the clutter and keep your home clean to give rats fewer places to hide. It’s also a good idea to move items away from your walls to reveal potential hiding spots.
Leverage Essential Oils to Deter Rats
As is the case with many pests, strong odors can be natural and safe deterrents for rats. You can make your own essential oil spray using your choice of clove, peppermint, cayenne pepper, and/or pepper in a bottle mixed with water, then spray it all around your home to keep rats outside. Likewise, you can sprinkle crushed pepper around doorways, windows, and other openings to discourage entry.
Get Help with Rat Removal in Round Rock, TX
Getting rid of rats in your Round Rock, TX home doesn’t have to be your worst nightmare. Prevention is truly the best medicine, but if it’s too late for that, then the above methods can work to drive the rats away without resorting to traps and bait stations.
If you have a fairly established rat infestation, it might be faster and easier to call in the professionals. Reach out to the
Fresh Pest Control team
today for a free same-day estimate.