The climate in Florida is quite favorable for rats throughout the entire year. That means that rats can become a problem for Florida homeowners when they find an easy source of food, water, or shelter around a property, no matter the time of year.
While Nvirotect Pest Control Services provides the best rodent control in Tampa, our team knows that being aware of what brings rats into your yard can help you to make your property less inviting.
1. Easily Accessible Sources of Food
Rats are not picky eaters. They can find food in garbage cans, pet food, birdseed, fallen fruit, and outdoor food scraps. We recommend that you keep trash cans tightly closed and avoid leaving pet food outside overnight. If you have fruit trees, you should pick any ripe fruit regularly and remove anything that has fallen onto the ground.
2. Standing Water
Like other animals, rats need water to survive. Leaky outdoor faucets, clogged gutters, pet water bowls, and areas of standing water can provide easy access to it.
Frequent rain can also create small pools of water around a yard, especially if the ground is uneven. We recommend that you check your property regularly and correct any drainage problems when possible. Keeping outdoor water sources limited can make your yard less attractive to rats. Your Tampa Rodent Control Wildlife Specialist with Nvirotect Pest Control Services can also help determine any spots that may be particularly attractive to rats throughout your yard.
3. Yard Debris and Clutter
Rats will look for places where they can hide and build nests. Piles of leaves, wood, cardboard, and other yard debris can give them the cover they need. To prevent them from wanting to stay on your property, keep firewood raised off the ground and away from the house. You should also trim overgrown plants and remove unnecessary clutter from sheds, garages, and other outdoor areas.
4. Holes and Other Hiding Places
Rats can use small openings around a property to move between their nest and food sources. During your Tampa rodent removal service, your Wildlife Specialist can also check around sheds, fences, foundations, and other structures for holes or gaps rats can enter through.
Rats can also dig burrows in soil, under plants, and around structures. If you notice holes in the ground or signs of regular animal activity, it may be worth having the area inspected.
5. Easy Access to Your Home
If rats are already living in your yard, they may eventually find a way inside your home. Gaps around doors, vents, pipes, roofs, AC chases, and foundations can give rodents easy access, even if the hole is seemingly impossibly small.
Sealing these openings can help reduce the chance of rats getting indoors. It is also important to regularly look for signs of rodent activity, such as droppings, gnaw marks, or scratching sounds.
Keep Rats From Becoming a Bigger Problem By Getting Professional Help
Rats are attracted to properties that provide food, water, shelter, and easy access. Removing these attractants can help, but it may not solve an existing rodent problem.
If you are seeing rats, droppings, burrows, or other signs of activity around your home, professional Tampa rodent removal services can help identify where the rats are coming from, what is keeping them on your property, and offer solutions to control the rodent population.
For more information about our rodent removal services, call our office today at 813.968.7031 or complete our contact request form for a competitive quote.
