Rats are one of the most destroying mammals when left inside a home.

 

In addition to them being destructive to your building materials, like chewing wires, plumbing, wood, appliances, urinating on insulation, leaving their droppings everywhere, rats carry diseases and pose a health risk to your family and pets.

 

Don’t worry, though – Twins have helped Homeowners in eRATicating Rats effectively and safely in the Rattiest cities in South Carolina.

1. Folly Beach 
2. St Johns Island
3. Charleston
4. North Charleston
5. Mount Pleasant 
6. Rock Hill
7. Goose Creek 
8. Hilton Head Island
9. Summersville 
10. Myrtle Beach 
11. Sullivan's Island
12. Seabrook Island
13. Kiawah Island 

 

Here at Twin Home Experts, we’ve helped thousands of customers around the South Carolina Area handle their rat problems. In this post, we’re sharing our top rodent control tips so you can do the same.

 

TWINS BIG TAKEAWAYS

1. Inspect & conduct a thorough investigation to exterior, roof tops, crawl spaces, attics, and interior spaces
2. Seal all entry points with proper exclusion materials such as wire mesh and spray foams.
3. Sanitizing & Removal of all rats urine, Droppings & contamination as they leave pheromones, this attracts other rats into your home.
4. Placement of Rat traps in high active areas with monitoring cameras

 

Rats are Neophobic, so placing rat traps by itself will not work. in fact they will be trap shy with any new objects in their spaces.

Trying to catch rats by appealing to their gluttonous appetites doesn’t work – rats are not hungry, and they almost always have enough food

 

HOW DO I KNOW IF I HAVE A RAT INFESTATION IN MY HOME ?

Hearing scratching in your walls & ceiling at night 

Hearing squealing 

Seeing visible signs of droppings inside your home 

Smelling a urine type odor 

Rats eating your pet food or food on the kitchen counters

Finding droppings inside your oven cooktop 

Rats chewing your under your dishwasher 

Rats inside your toilet or dirty sink 

 

Here are some things to look for, to determine if you have a rat infestation in your South Carolina home :

 

1. Strong Smells & Sounds

Rats give off a potent stinky ammonia type smell. They’re also very loud – making squeaking, scratching, and rustling noises as they move throughout your home.

 

When you hear these noises, this means rodents are inside your property and thriving. 

 

2. Droppings & Smears

Rats leave droppings behind as they move through your home. You may notice small, dark, pellet-shaped droppings along main rat run ways.

 

Since rats have very poor eyesight, they create and maintain established pathways especially along the walls as they whisk to find their nesting sites.

As they migrate throughout your home, they leave grease marks along the run ways and entry points. ( Great places to set and place Traps) 

 

Twin Tip: If you’re unsure whether rats are around, sprinkle a fine layer of baking soda or white flour on the floor and check for fresh tracks the next morning.

 

4. Damages

Last but not least, rats will leave damage in their wake. They may chew through electrical cords, gnaw on furniture, storage containers, or paper, and eat food left out on the counter.

 

As they do, they can leave droppings and urine throughout your home, increasing your risk of exposure to diseases.

 

What are the Signs Of Rats In Your Walls?

It can be challenging to detect the presence of rats when they’re living behind your walls.

 

Here are a few signs to look for:

 

Strange sounds in the walls, including squeaking, scurrying, and running noises

Piles of droppings in hidden areas, such as behind the stove, in your basement or attic, or the corners of the home

Food packages, containers, or leftovers with bite marks

Smudges along the walls, which look like a mixture of dirt and grease

Nests made of insulation, shredded paper, bits of fabric, or other soft material

Ductwork that seems to be gnawed on or damaged

In addition to the above indications, you may also see a live or dead rat somewhere in your home.

 

If you notice any of these signs, to be quite honest, it’s time to call in a professional like the Twin Home Experts 

 

Understanding Rat Behavior: What do They Want?

a rat crawling inside a home

When it comes to controlling rats, there are many misconceptions out there.

 

The most common misconception is that rats are hungry. so people leave out baited traps, and nothing is ever caught.

 

Rats are versatile omnivores, and they usually have more than enough food. Because of that, we can’t control rats by assuming they’re ravenous and looking for food.

 

It just won’t work.

 

Here’s an example:

 

We got called out from a Homeowner in Folly Beach, upon our arrival, the pest controller and homeowner had out 25 rat traps, glue boards, and poisons. There was not one catch, the reason for that is the entry and exits into the home were never found. Rats are to smart, and have an abundant of food source outside, Their just using your South Carolina Home for a Nesting site.

 

In our experience, you need to understand two things if you want to control rats effectively:

 

They are curious, and they are cautious.

 

To get rid of rats, you need to understand that they hate new things, exhibit obsessive habits, and are inherently curious animals.

 

Because of these traits, you usually don’t need to bait traps with food if you put them in the right places and prepare them correctly.

 

Rats follow scent trails everywhere they go and avoid things that don’t smell like them. If you put a new trap in their environment and it doesn’t smell like any rats have been in or on it before, the rats will just avoid it.

 

 

 

As you can see, understanding rat behavior is essential to get rid of them as quickly and efficiently as possible.

 

How To Get Rid Of Rats In The House Fast

rat looking for shelter

Nobody wants to live with rats. Fortunately, these tips can help you figure out how to get rid of rats in your home:

 

1. Inspect The Home

Before you can get rid of rats, you need to conduct a full home inspection to find out where they’re coming from.

 

Inspect the outside of the house – pay special attention to damaged drains, cracks in your garage door, gaps around vents, and spaces in the foundation – for obvious access points.

 

Look at the vents, drains, appliance lines, and other potential access points inside the house.

 

Once you know where the rats are accessing the house, you can seal the entry points and set traps.

 

2. Seal The Gaps

Rats don’t need a large entry point to get into your house. In fact, they can squeeze through any hole that you can stick your thumb through. With this in mind, seal any gaps in your interior or exterior walls.

 

Fill these gaps with wire wool, metal kick plates, cement, or caulk for lasting results. Check them a few times a month to make sure they’re well-maintained.

 

Tip: If you can’t identify entry points, contact Smith’s Pest Management for an expert analysis of your property. We service homes and businesses in California’s San Francisco Bay Area and Central Coast. 

 

3. Clean Up

Rats love shelter and places to hide. One of the best ways to eliminate rats without poison is to eliminate their hiding places. Clean up the clutter in and around your home and move objects away from the walls.

 

Keep all trash and food in closed bins, clean up any spills rapidly, and keep your pipes and drains clean.

 

4. Set Traps

As rodenticides and harsh poisons have fallen out of favor trapping has become the most effective way to eliminate rats; it is what kills rats fast and effectively. This is why we invented & use the Twin Traps. we no longer have To worry about Traps flipping over, Rats taking bait, and stealing the bait. 

We also have the worlds only Rat Vac, this Rat & mice sucking Device extracts rodents right into your wet / Dry shop vacuum, you have the choice for a catch & release or fill the vacuum drum with some water and our TwinZyme. 

 

Trapping this way is a poison-free method of reducing rat populations and continous colonization.

 

If you’re going to place your own traps,Make sure you do not over bait,and secure the traps so they don't flip over or give the Rats the ability to walk away with the traps. 

 

Twin Tip: If you prefer not to set the traps on your own, contact a professional pest management team to do it for you. 

 

5. Try Natural Deterrent Methods

When it comes to getting rid of rats, a few simple, natural ingredients can go a long way.

 

What is the best Rat repellent ? 

When it comes to any repellents, they simply do not work. 

 

They will help identify the entry points for rats, locate their nesting and food cache areas, and get them out of your walls without causing more damage to your home.

 

Professionals can also help you identify the root cause of the infestation and keep rats from coming back in the future.

 

How To Get Rid Of Rats Outside Your Home

1. Clean up Debris Piles

Rats dislike open spaces, so keep your lawn and garden trimmed, clean, and clutter-free; this is the best way to discourage them from setting up shop.

 

Trim your grass often, and remove piles of wood, cardboard boxes, old appliances, leaves, or anything that can serve as shelter for rats. Close and lock all storage sheds, patch holes in the siding, and seal exterior garbage bins.

 

2. Remove Food Sources

Clean up rats’ favorite food, including dropped fruits, vegetables in the garden, nuts, and acorns, and get rid of snails.

 

The latter is critical because rats love to eat snails and quickly infest areas where snails are prevalent.

 

Store pet and bird food in chew-proof, airtight containers, and promptly clean up food spills from barbecuing or outdoor dining.

 

 

Twin Tip: Avoid putting out bird feed to attract birds. In addition to the fact that the rats are food enough, placing bird seed, suet, or other materials outside creates another food source that may draw more rats to your property. 

 

Trim All Trees And Shrubs

Keep all trees and shrubs trimmed at least 3 feet away from your roof line.

 

This is important because rats are amazing climbers & jumpers. they can easily jump 3 feet from a tree to your roof (they can generally jump about 3 feet high and 3 feet wide).

 

In addition to keeping rats away from your roof, trimming trees and shrubs will also deter other pests from entering your home.

 

9. Check Your Vents

Rats are excellent climbers, which is one of the main ways they gain access to homes. They can climb on pergolas or vines and get to your roof.

 

Once on the roof, they can easily chew through the thin metal covering your vents and access your home’s rafters or the inside of your walls.

 

To prevent this, check your vents regularly. Repair any existing rat damage and reinforce undamaged vents with copper wire or stainless steel mesh with a hole diameter of 1mm, which rats can’t chew through.

 

 

 

Twins Rat Control FAQs

1. What are rats?

Most people are familiar with what rats look like, but let’s do a deeper dive on where they live, how they choose a habitat, and what they eat:

 

Rats are medium-sized, toothy rodents that originated in Asia and Australia and spread throughout the world. According to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS), more than 60 rat species exist.

 

Rats can range from small – about 5 inches in length – to a truly frightening version that’s about the size of a large house cat and can weigh five pounds or more.

 

2. How quickly do rats reproduce?

Female rats can mate up to 500 times in just six hours, and brown rats can give birth to up to 2,000 babies in a single year – with up to 22 young in a single litter. Considering rats have a gestational period of less than a month, it’s easy to see how populations quickly get out of control.

 

As rat populations start to grow in or around your South Carolina home, you’ll also notice an increase in droppings and damage.

 

3. What diseases do rats carry?

Increasing rat populations also puts you at risk of contracting rodent-borne illnesses. Rats are famous for carrying a variety of dangerous diseases. Rats are carriers of Hepatitis E and can infect people with the strain. Many of them carry the disease typhus.

 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

 

Flea-borne (murine) typhus is a disease caused by a bacteria called Rickettsia typhi. Flea-borne typhus spreads to people through contact with infected fleas. Fleas become infected when they bite infected animals, such as rats, cats, or opossums. When an infected flea bites a person or animal, the bite breaks the skin, causing a wound. Fleas poop when they feed. The poop (also called flea dirt) can then be rubbed into the bite wound or other wounds, causing infection. People can also breathe in infected flea dirt or rub it into their eyes. 

 

4. What attracts rats to homes?

Rats are challenging pests to control since they live everywhere. As long as humans are around to give rats the following three things, they’ll thrive:

 

Shelter

 

In the wild, rats get the shelter they need from weeds, grasses, and other plants.

 

In homes, rats will take refuge under furniture, behind walls, or in dark, seldom-used corners of the house.

 

They’re also famous for making nests inside of and under appliances.

 

Seeking shelter is the number one reason rats make their way into your home.

 

Food

 

Rats are omnivores, so they’ll eat anything available to them.

 

Although rats are best known for scavenging through trash and eating food that’s left out, some rats will kill small animals like birds and lizards for food.

 

Water

 

Rats can survive for a month or more without directly drinking water. This is because they consume enough water in the foods they eat.

 

When they need to drink water, rats can usually find enough in drains, pet dishes, or the condensation in the pipes or walls.Rats are more than just a nuisance in your home. They can cause significant damage, spread diseases, and contaminate your food and water supply. 

 

To prevent a rat infestation, make sure to eliminate their sources of shelter, food, and water. Sealing up cracks and holes in your home, storing food in airtight containers, and fixing leaky pipes can all help deter rats from making your home their own. If you suspect a rat infestation, it’s essential to contact a professional pest control service to quickly and effectively eliminate the problem. 

Don’t let rats take over your home – take action to keep them out and keep your family safe.

 

We truly want to thank you for visiting our site today, Call The Twins today if you are in need of rodent control for your South Carolina Property.