Rats Control and Prevention

Rats are the more destructive relative of the mouse. Because of their larger size, they can cause noticeable damage much sooner than mice. Rodents must gnaw on objects to trim down their constantly growing teeth. Electrical wires in homes or cars are common victims of this gnawing, which can cause expensive repairs, and even be a fire hazard. Gnawed pipes are also a common occurrence in homes and businesses, which can cause serious damage with the resulting leaks. As with mice, rats can spread disease with their droppings, urine, and saliva that they leave behind. Any rodent issue that is noticed should be dealt with immediately to prevent threat to property and health.

There are two major types of rats that we see here in the lower mainland of BC: the Roof Rat, and the Norway Rat.

Roof Rat – These rats are grey to black in colour. They are excellent climbers, and are more often found in attics of homes than elsewhere. A good way to identify the roof rat is with the tail – it is longer than the rats body.

Norway Rat – These rats are usually brown in colour, so are also called the brown rat. However, they can also be a lighter grey colour. They are also called water rats or sewer rats. They tend to live in underground burrows outside, and enter structures in search of food. Keep an eye out for burrows around your home or business, as this can be an early indicator of a rat problem before they have entered the structure.

With rats, The X-Terminators will usually attempt trapping and exclusion methods first. Poisoning rats is a big risk, as the rats may die in an inaccessible area in the walls or ceiling. This can create a bad odour problem, and can also create a new pest problem – flies. With traps, we will know exactly where the dead rodents are and can cleanly remove them from the premises. Exclusion, also known as ‘rodent-proofing’, is important for the control rats. The X-Terminators will search for the entry points the rats have used to enter the structure, and will seal them up after the rats have been caught, so that more rats do not find their way inside in the future. The X-Terminators can also provide exterior bait stations to help kill off exterior rodent populations before they have a chance to chew an entry into the home, but it is important that exclusion work is done first so that poisoned rats do not die in the walls of the home or business.