Rat infestations always seem like large metropolis problems, but you don’t have to live in New York City to fall victim to these rodents. The rats in Jacksonville are just as invasive as they are in NYC and Chicago, and with the kinds of diseases rats carry and the destruction they cause, you certainly don’t want them infesting your Jacksonville home. That’s why it’s important to know what you can do to keep rats away, along with the best way to get rid of rats in Jacksonville.
How To Identify Rats That Commonly Infest Jacksonville Homes
With over 2000 different species of rodents in the world, you may think that there are dozens of species that regularly infest homes in the United States, but there’s less than a handful throughout America and only two types of rats in Jacksonville:
- Norway rats – seven to nine inches long with tails almost the same length as their bodies, dark brown to black fur, and white underbellies
- Roof rats – six to eight inches long with tails almost the same length as their bodies, can be brown, gray, or black, with dark or grayish underbellies
The types of rats in Jacksonville get big, some weighing in at around one pound fully grown, but they’re still incredibly sneaky and difficult to detect once they’ve infested a home. This makes them even more dangerous because, if left unnoticed, they’ll chew through support beams, electrical wires, insulation, pipes, shingles, and anything they can sink their teeth into.
That’s not the only thing that makes rats dangerous pests, either – there are all kinds of hazardous diseases rats carry:
- Rat-bite fever
- Hantavirus
- Plague
- Salmonella
- Gastroenteritis
- Listeriosis
- Leptospirosis
- Tularemia
- Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis
- Other parasites and pests – fleas, ticks, intestinal worms
Things You Can Do In Your Jacksonville Home To Prevent Rats
Safety is the most important thing that a home can provide and, with how dangerous the rats in Jacksonville are, taking any and all precautions against them is crucial if you want to maintain a safe space.
Prevention isn’t always completely effective, especially when you’re dealing with a creature that can fit through some of the smallest holes and even chew through metal, but every little bit helps to keep rats away:
- Clean up your yard – remove leaf piles, mulch piles, twigs, branches, and any other miscellaneous debris.
- Fill in any ground holes around your property.
- Trim branches and bushes away from the exterior of your home.
- Seal up any potential entry points around the exterior of your home, from foundation to roof and trim.
- Keep tight-fitting lids on indoor and outdoor trash cans.
- Reduce the clutter in your home – this removes potential nesting spots for rats.
- Deep clean under heavy furniture and appliances.
- Store all food, including pet food, in airtight containers.
- Wipe down counters and dining areas daily.
The Most Reliable Rat Control For Jacksonville Homes
Nobody wants to deal with a rat infestation for longer than they have to, but trying to exterminate a dangerous pest infestation on your own can be just as hazardous. For Jacksonville homeowners, the best way to get rid of rats is with the help of Trad’s Pest Control.
Our company has been providing the Jacksonville area with pest services for over 40 years, which means we know how to handle all of our customers’ pest problems. We always use the highest quality pest control products available, and we keep our prices affordable so you don’t have to break the bank for effective pest control. So get in contact with us today and rest easy knowing your home is protected.