What to Do About The Real King of NY…The Rat!
Are you worried about rats in and around your home and not sure what to do about it? Are you seeing rats and need help? Rats are a major problem in New York City, the 5 boroughs, and many other areas throughout New York. Here’s what you should know about rats and what you can do if you’re concerned or seeing them!
The Norway Rat
While you may have heard about roof rats or other rat species, the Norway Rat makes up 99.9% of the rats seen in and around NYC. Norway rats live in the ground and make burrows in loose soil where they nest and rest during the day. Norway rats are often active at night and typically keep to the shadows so as not to be seen by humans or predatory animals. Because of this behavior, if you are seeing rats regularly it may indicate that there is a significant issue around your home.
Should I Be Worried About Rats?
Although fairly uncommon, rats can transmit disease and are considered a human health risk. In addition to being a potential disease vector, rats are also unsanitary and can contaminate food surfaces within our home. Rats are often in sewer pipes and other unsanitary places and then enter our homes looking for food. They then walk on surfaces we often make and consume food thus exposing us to other diseases secondarily through contact with their body. Lastly, in isolated occurrences, rats have been known to bite humans if cornered or they feel threatened.
How Do You Know If You Have Rats?
While seeing a rat can be an indicator of an issue, more commonly than not, rats do not want to be seen by humans. Therefore, the most common symptom of a rat issue is finding rat burrows around your home. Rats create holes in the ground that are often about the size of a baseball and are often found in and around plant beds. More than one hole is often present as rats have escape holes they can use in case of an emergency. In urban environments, burrows can also be found along sidewalks and other concrete areas where the concrete is broken and the ground is exposed.
How Do I Know if the Rat Burrows Are Active
If you have found burrows around your home but aren’t sure if they have active rats living inside them, inspect the opening and look for hair around the opening as well as trash that may have been kicked out by an active rat infestation. You can also cover the hole with soil or other debris and if the hole is open again within 24 hours, it indicates an active burrow.
What To Do About Rats in the House
Due to the potential diseases that rats can transmit as well as the risk of a rat biting someone, you should contact a professional if you think you have rats present around your home. Rat control can be complex and professionals have the right tools and experience to effectively deal with the issue. Control options can include snap traps, rodent bait stations that contain baits toxic to rats, carbon dioxide machines that suffocate the rats within their burrows, and many other control options.