Rats are arguably the most unwanted guest in any home across Ireland. Apart from being blessed with poor looks, many rats carry disease and bacteria and pose a severe health risk to the people living in your home.
In addition to health problems, Rats can prove both destructive and hugely costly to your home, chewing through most objects such as cables, insulation, and even some types of walls! If you want to fight back or prevent rats from taking over your home once and for all, then this blog may help.
Let’s begin!
Size
Rats can range from about 5” in length to an almost insane size of a small housecat (about five pounds in weight (although uncommon in Ireland). What makes rats so hard to keep under control is that they need very little to thrive off, helping them set up homes almost anywhere.
Food
Rats are omnivores; essentially, they will eat almost anything available to them; although most will feed off of bins, lanes, and scraps, some will kill other small animals in order to eat.
Rats can survive for almost a month without directly drinking water (taking liquid in via food). When they do drink, rats usually find enough in Drains and sewers.
Shelter
Rats tend to shelter from harsh weather conditions (common in Dublin) by taking refuge in a tree,s under rocks, in sewers, and when in your home, under presses and refrigerators.
Reproduction
Rats can mate up to 500 times in six hours and can produce litters of 22 every single month of the year. With these types of numbers, you can see how the current problem with rat infestation is becoming alarming across Dublin. If rats were to borough under your home, it could get to unmanageable numbers in literally several weeks.
Signs of rat infestation
Odd Smells and noises:
Rats carry a distinct Ammonia smell. Different noises such as rustling, squeaking, and scraping are every day, and most will be underfloor.
Litter / Droppings:
Rat droppings are small, pellet-like droppings, usually found along skirtings (as rats have poor eyesight, they tend to run close to the walls to navigate).
Damage:
Rats tend to wreak havoc wherever they go; chewed cables, borough out walls, and gnawed furniture tend to be top of the list!
Prevention method:
Install a trap:
When installed, The rat flap blocks off sewage point access for the rats while allowing water and waste to still pass through in the opposite direction (out of the property). The rat flap comes in various sizes (4”,6” etc.) and fits tight to all sides of the pipe, and is secured into place. As the steel flap only opens one way (towards the sewer), when waste is flowing out of the property, the flap will momentarily open to the minimal level, allowing for the waste to pass through before closing again as the debris passing through comes to a stop again. Any attempt to open the flap from its barrier side will automatically trigger its locking mechanism and therefore block entry. In Leigh man’s terms, the rat trap will allow water out and prevent pests from entering. As ever, if you have any questions regarding anything mentioned above, feel free to call the Stillorgan Drain Cleaning office, and we can answer any questions regarding rat trap installations and help get the pests in your home under control.
Seal over any gaps in the exterior:
Small rodents can get through the smallest of cracks, seal over and block up any holes or gaps that you can find on an external wall. Make sure that it is only blocked with metal, cement, or chalk (plastics or filler will just be chewed through.
Keep your Garden tidy:
Rats tend to stay aware of open spaces; therefore, keeping your garden clutter-free, your grass trimmed, and compost secured to the ground will help make your property less attractive for a rodent.
If you continue to have issues with rats in your home, then contact Stillorgan Drain Cleaning, and we can provide a same-day callout and install any rat flap you require to help prevent rats from getting into your home.
If you are experiencing a current rat infestation or want to prevent rats from getting into your property in the future, Stillorgan drain cleaning have you covered; we provide same-day callouts and have any rat flap or rat trap you need. Whether it be a 4” Sewer rat flap, 6” Sewer rat flap, or any other type of rat trap. To conclude, for Rat Flaps Installation, Call Stillorgan Drain Cleaning today We Cover North Dublin, South Dublin, and North Wicklow (Bray)
Newspaper articles voicing the growing concerns about rat infestation across North and south Dublin. Have you got a rat flap fitted in your sewer system? If not, Stillorgan Drain Cleaning provides same-day callouts to contact your home to protect against the rising number of rat infestations.