Along with cockroaches, the most hated pest in Brisbane homes has to be rats.
Nuts stored in a house by rats
Effective rat control is very important as they increase rapidly during the summer breeding season. By the time you have spotted one rat, often what really has happened is that you have a severe rat infestation.
So, what can you do to get rid of rats around your house? The first thing is to reduce potential food sources for rats.
- Remove dog and cat food at night.
- Clear up palm nuts from palm trees when they fall (a particular rat delicacy).
- Clean up spilled seeds from pet birds.
- Regularly sweep up fallen Macadamia nuts from under Macadamia trees.
- Keep chicken and guinea pig feed locked away.
- Keep all cereals, flour and other pantry items in sealed containers.
- Sweep up any spilled food from floors, around dishwashers and in pantries.
You then need to remove access points to your home.
- Most rats get in by climbing trees near a home, then dropping onto the roof. It is a simple process for them then to get in under your tiles or other roofing. Remove or prune back all trees and bushes that touch your roof line and pergola.
- Prune back all creepers and climbing plants – you need at least a 30cm gap between the plants and overhanging eaves.
- Keep doors and windows shut or screened at night.
- Check that all air vents are meshed and in good repair.
Next, you need to control the rats you have on your property. Call us to arrange a licensed rat controller to do a rat treatment for you. They will assess your property, check for signs of possums and rats in your roof, consider what pets you have and then place the appropriate baits in the correct places.
A Brisbane rat in a trap
Finally, you need to ensure you take ongoing preventative measures. These can include requesting repeat treatments after 6 to 12 months to treat any new rat residents with fresh baits before they do damage to your wiring and roof.
If you have chickens or guinea pigs, or are near a creek, then our rat controller can install lockable external bait stations and baits to act as a permanent sentinel outside your home.
If you need to control rats in your property, call us for an obligation free* quote.
