Having rats in your basement can be a nightmare for any homeowner. These bugs are bad for your health and damage your stuff. Luckily, if you follow the right steps, you can keep rats out of your basement and other lower areas of your home.
- Seal any holes or cracks that rats could use to get into your home. Rats are very good at finding even the smallest holes or cracks. Check the outside of your basement for cracks, holes around pipes, and empty spots near utility lines. Steel wool, caulk, or wire mesh can be used to seal these entry places. Pay extra attention to places where wires and pipes go through the base.
- Make the doors and windows stronger: Look for holes or damage in the basement doors and windows. Rats can chew through wood and fit through small gaps. To make sure a tight seal, fix broken weatherstripping, add door sweeps, and fix the screens on basement windows.
- Make sure the basement stays dry. Rats like wet places. Take care of any basement leaks or water damage right away. Putting in a dehumidifier will keep the humidity low, which will make your basement less appealing to rats.
- Put stored things up: If you store things in the basement, don’t put them on the floor. Rats like messier places to hide and build their nests. Rats will find it harder to hide and nest if you put things on shelves or in storage bins.
- Safely store food: Never put food in the basement unless it’s in containers that keep air out and rats out. Rats will be drawn to anything that doesn’t go bad if they can get to it. Make sure that the things in your kitchen are stored safely.
- Regular Cleaning: Keep the basement clean and free of junk. Cleaning it often not only makes it less appealing to rats, but it also lets you see early signs of an invasion. Clean up crumbs, clean, and wipe down surfaces often.
- Close Trash Cans: If you keep trash or recycling bins in your basement, use bins with lids that fit tightly on top. Rats are good at scavenging and can easily get into trash cans that are open. Also, get rid of trash right away to keep rats from coming in.
- Check your base. Look for damage on the foundation, like cracks or gaps. Rats can get into your basement by digging. If they find weak spots in the floor, they can get in. Fix any problems with the structure right away.
- Pest-Resistant Landscaping: If you want to keep rats from getting into your basement, you might want to mulch the outside of your house. Cut back bushes and shrubs, and keep plants away from the base. You can stop animals from digging by making a buffer zone out of gravel or mulch.
- Motion-Activated Lights: Put motion-activated lights around the outside of your house, especially near places where people can get into the basement. Rats are nocturnal and stay away from places that are bright.
- Be smart about where you store your firewood. If you have a wood-burning stove or fireplace, keep the firewood away from the outside of your house. Rats like woodpiles because they are good places to live.
- Regular Checks: Look for signs of rat activity in your basement on a regular basis, like droppings, gnaw marks, or things that have been chewed. If you catch a small problem early, it can be stopped before it becomes a full-blown outbreak.
- Talk to a Professional: If you think or see rats in your basement, you should talk to a professional pest control service. They can figure out how bad the problem is, suggest the best ways to fix it, and help you make a complete plan to keep rats out.
Rat-proofing your basement is an important part of keeping your home healthy and free of pests. Following these steps and being careful will help make your home less appealing to rats, keeping your property safe from these unwanted guests. Remember that the best way to deal with rat problems is to stop them before they get bad.
Rat Control Newmarket, our technicians have the knowledge as well as years of experience in handling rat problems. Whether it is an infestation or an intrusion, our licensed and fully insured teams of technicians handle the problem swiftly and discreetly.