What Every Jacksonville Property Owner Ought To Know About Black Rats

A black rat, also known as a roof rat, ship rat, or house rat, is a common structure-invading pest in Jacksonville. There are a few interesting differences compared to the other common rat pests Jacksonville property owners have to deal with. Black rats are great climbers and will establish homes inside trees. The other rat, known as a Norway rat or brown rat, is a rodent that prefers to create a ground burrow. Black rats often get into homes by way of vulnerabilities in rooflines or around roof penetrations. Norway rats tend to exploit entry points near the ground, such as door sweeps, window and door frames, and the weather stripping on doors. Black rats get into Jacksonville homes and usually stay. Norway rats are more prone to temporary visitations. This isn't to say that Norway rats won't infest your home; it is just less likely. The differences aren't nearly as important as the traits both rats have in common. Here's what every Jacksonville property owner should know about rats.

1. Fire Hazard

When considering the threat of black rats or Norway rats, we should start with the worst-case scenario. Rats chew on wires. If a rat severs a wire with current running through it, the result can be a raging flame that completely consumes the property and potentially leads to the loss of human life. It is estimated that 20 to 25 percent of all fires that cannot be linked to a direct cause result from a rodent chewing on a wire or gas line.

2. Ticks

While we could provide a long list of organisms a rat can bring into your home, there are few as dangerous as a tick. Many diseases carried by ticks can be fatal, and some can lead to lifelong medical issues. One rat can have more than a hundred seed ticks on its body.

3. Bacteria

This is the threat rats are most known for, and rightly so. Rats climb around in sewers, dumpsters, trash cans, and other dirty places. They also expose themselves to harmful organisms when they feed on carrion. As rats move around inside your home, they shed their hairs, leave their droppings, and soak areas with their urine. All of this creates a health hazard.

4. Food Poisoning

When rats chew into your stored foods, the foods are contaminated. So finding half the contents of a box of cereal on your floor is only half the problem. Eating contaminated food or eating from dishes contaminated by contact with rats can cause dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, and other symptoms of food poisoning. If you're experiencing ongoing health problems, you may have a rat infestation and not know about it.

5. Secrecy

It isn't always evident that you have a rat infestation. While rats are certainly bolder than mice, they still do a pretty good job of staying out of sight. Usually, sightings are at dawn, dusk, or in the middle of the night. This is important to understand because when rat treatments fail, rats can continue to be a threat without you realizing it. This is why we strongly recommend investing in professional rodent control. A licensed professional uses field-tested methods to track rodent activity and ensure that your property is rodent-free after the treatments.

6. Hiding Places

The best thing a homeowner can do to prevent a rat infestation is to remove hiding places in the yard and near the home. This makes it more difficult for rats to explore the yard freely.

• Remove unnecessary lawn objects.

• Remove leaves and other organic debris.

• Trim bushes and shrubs.

• Remove weeds and unnecessary vegetation from your landscaping.

7. Black Rat Prevention

There are a few things you can do to resist black rats directly. These tips won't get complete control of black rats, but they are well worth the effort.

• Trim tree branches away from your roofline

• Push wire mesh in downspouts to stop rats from climbing up.

• Inspect and repair seals around roof penetrations.

• Repair damage to roof-soffit intersections.

Get Control Of Black Rats

The best solution for controlling black rats in Jacksonville is to contact Lindsey Pest Services. Our service professionals know what is required to control rats and keep those rats under control. Reach out to us anytime. We're here to help.