Rats may be adorable in cartoons, but they are not so cute when you find them in your home! Rodents of all sorts carry bacteria, germs, and even harmful diseases, and may be more destructive to your home than you realize.
Rats come into a house in summer to find a food and water supply, to gain relief from the heat, and because stormy weather may have caused damage to your home that creates cracks and crevices rats can use for easy access to a home’s interior. Rats may already be in your home and due to the cooler temperatures inside during summer, you can thank you’re A/C for that, you may see more rats during summer than you do during winter!
To keep your home free of rats and other rodents, note a few questions you might have about these pesky creatures and why they often mistake your home for their own, and how to keep them out of your house for good!
What season do rats come inside?
Never assume that rat infestations in a home are somehow seasonal, that rodents enjoy being outdoors during summer and then come into your home only during winter. Rats, like all other small creatures, need shelter from inclement weather year-round, and this includes protection from rain and extreme heat, as well as the cold. Once summertime arrives, heat and hot sunlight may make your home’s cool air conditioning very attractive to rats.
Rats also need a safe nest for when they are ready to give birth, an available supply of food and water, and protection from predators. Rodents can find all of this in and around your house, at all times of the year! Note, too, that rats might be more likely to seek shelter inside your home during cold winter months, making their way to the home’s warm attic. Then, once summertime rolls around and these spaces become uncomfortably hot, those rats might make their way to the lower part of your home.
In other words, rats aren’t necessarily coming into your home during summertime, but you suddenly notice them during the warmer months, since they’re now moving to the living areas of the house.
Do rats come in when it rains?
As with other animals, rodents like to stay dry when it’s raining outside, so it’s not unusual for rats to find a way into a home during heavy rains. Because the Sarasota area often has wet summers, you may notice more rodents inside your home during this time, only because those rats are looking for a place to stay dry.
It’s also good to remember that rats need a water supply as well as food. You can keep your trash secure throughout the year so that rats aren’t attracted to any food scraps in your garbage bins.
Will rats just disappear?
Rodents tend to create nests and then stay in those nests for as long as possible; however, as said, rodents need a steady supply of food and water and protection from predators. If the food and water that rats are finding in your house run out, or if your cat or dog discovers the presence of these rodents, those rats might leave your home on their own.
While rodents can leave on their own it’s never good to assume that this will happen, even if you start paying better attention to your home’s trash, or if you get your roof (see our blog on the importance of keeping your roof clean here) cleaned up and repaired. Rats may still find food and water supplies in your home and see that their nest is quite comfortable, so it’s always recommended that you call a professional like Miller’s Rodent and Wildlife Solutions if you suspect that you have a rodent infestation in your home.
If you suspect or know you have rats or rodents of any kind give Miller’s Rodent and Wildlife Solutions a call or text today at 941-302-6009 to schedule your inspection. If you are a First Responder, Active-duty or retired Military or Law Enforcement please let us know so we can thank
you by extending a 10% discount.
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