Since 2010, city officials and rodent control across the upper northeast have been flooded with calls about rats taking over homes and businesses. While some cities like nearby Somerville have managed to gain control of the issue, cities as far away as Berkshire, NY, and as near as Quincy have reported significant problems. Here in Reading, Massachusetts, we face a lot of the same issues, and these disease-ridden rodents are a big problem for businesses and homeowners alike.
Rat Problems in Reading
Like humans, rats love to be outdoors when the weather is nice. As winter sets in, though, it’s time for them to hunker down inside, which usually means in your home or business. Sure, rodent control experts expect those calls in urban settings, but the rise in rat problems has been creeping into unexpected locations, and they’re bringing a whole new set of complications.
- Hot Spots: If you see one rat, there’s sure to be more lurking around. Given that these rodents can procreate four to six times a year, with seven young per litter, it’s easy to see how quickly they can multiply. When the young leave the nest they don’t stray very far, and this creates a hot spot of sorts, where multiple homes or businesses within a single area will report sightings.
- Disease: It’s well known that rats are notoriously diseased, carrying with them a wide array of germs. Rat urine is one way germs are spread, which has been known to result in kidney and liver damage through a disease called Leptospirosis. You can catch this same disease through inhaling their feces, and touching it can bring on Salmonella or tapeworms. Rats go to the bathroom a few dozen times a day, so their excrement gets everywhere – fast. If you’re unlucky enough to get bitten by one you are even more likely to get sick, especially with a disease called rat-bite fever. This is a serious illness that can bring about vomiting, headaches, muscle and joint pain, fever and a rash. Left untreated, it can cause death.
- Leftover Destruction: For businesses, the main issue to contend with is food loss. Depending on the breed, rats can eat anywhere from 15 to 25 times a day. The thing is, whenever rats eat they mark their territory, so the entire box, plate or bag of food is destroyed. For homeowners and businesses alike, damage to insulation, whether in the attic, walls or even covering your electrical wiring, is a sure sign of a rat problem. Roof rats are self-explanatory, chewing on eaves and creating entrance and exit points for their kin. These are only some of the ways that rats make their presence known to rat control.
Rat Control in Reading
Rodent control experts like our people at Modern Pest Services are well aware of the issue, and have taken great strides in creating individualized plans to prevent infestation and further damage. Each situation is unique, therefore, so too is the plan we create. Here are a few ways we evict the vermin and clean up your home or business.
- Removal of rats. Our experts will rid your home or commercial property of any and all of the rats. We’ll trap and remove them not only because it’s humane, but to ensure complete removal of all rats, living and deceased.
- Seal off entrances. We will properly seal any openings they’ve created with a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee. This is something worth doing every year, as homes shift and critters create more ways to get in. By sealing it off, you’re ensuring they won’t come back.
- Clean and remove debris. This includes the removal of soiled insulation, vacuuming away droppings and removing any nests or build up created by rodents. We then use a biological cleaner that uses non-pathogenic enzymes to remove all waste and other germs the rats have left behind. It also has the added benefit of removing the rodent odor.
What it really comes down to is practicing due diligence. Having your home or business looked at before a problem comes up is the best way to ensure you don’t need extensive cleanup and repairs. In Reading, there may be rats to worry about but there are a wide range of other rodents that can cause problems as well. For complete rodent control and a free estimate, give us a call at our Reading, MA location today!