Rats are small animals that can squeeze into the tiniest of gaps to access your home. They love exploring hidden spaces and nesting in hidden corners. The attic, basement, kitchen, or perhaps even the crawl space is a perfect location for rats to nest. They will look for any location where they feel safe and secure from predators. Rats are also natural homeowners because they leave no mess behind when they move out; you won’t find chewed-up furniture, ripped wallpaper, or urine stains from rats like you would with mice. Once rats have moved into your home, it can feel like an impossible task to get rid of them again. However, there are several ways to discourage rats from living in your walls and ceiling until you can get them permanently removed from your house.
How To Get Rid Of Rats In Walls And Ceiling
1. Seal gaps and holes
One of the most effective ways to keep rats out of your house is by making sure there are no gaps or holes in your walls and ceiling. If there are any cracks, crevices, or holes in your home, you are inviting rats to move in. You can use caulk and seal any gaps, holes, or cracks that you may have. This will ensure that rats can no longer access your home through these entry points.
2. Cover up openings
If possible, you should fill any openings with steel wool or aluminum foil before closing them off with caulk. Rats are drawn to open areas where they can easily see into the outside world while they are nesting inside your home. Filling these openings with steel wool or aluminum foil, will reduce their visibility while they try to find a new way into your house.
3. Install screens
You should also install screens around the openings that you have already sealed off with caulk and steel wool so that rats cannot access these areas either by climbing over them or squeezing through them from above or below the screen material. This will ensure that rats cannot access these entry points either from above or below the screen material so they cannot come back into your house from another entry point after being chased out of one area of your house by a predator animal like a cat, dog or even a bird of prey such as an owl. If possible, install screens on all sides of the opening so there is no way for the rats to squeeze in or out without being detected by your pets or predators.
4. Move animals
To keep rats from returning to your home, you may want to move your pets and other predators from the area where the rats are living. This will force them to find a new place to live and reduce their chances of being killed by a predator animal like a cat, dog, or even an owl of prey. If you have any pets that have been living in your home for several years already, it is probably time to find them new homes as well since they will be moving into an area that is infested with rats. You can give them away or sell them if you are not willing to take care of them for the rest of their lives and if you don’t want your pets getting into danger from predators while they are still young and inexperienced.
5. Install traps
You can also install traps in the areas where the rats are living. This will help to catch the rats so you can remove them from your home. You can also use these traps to catch mice, birds, and other pests that may be eating away at your food or eating your garden plants.
6. Seal up holes with caulk
You should seal any holes or cracks in your home with caulk so that rats cannot access these areas either by climbing over them or squeezing through them from above or below the screen material. This will ensure that rats cannot access these entry points either from above or below the screen material so they cannot come back into your house from another entry point after being chased out of one area of your house by a predator animal like a cat, dog or even a bird of prey such as an owl. If possible, install screens on all sides of the opening so there is no way for the rats to squeeze in or out without being detected by your pets or predators.
Ensure Your Home Is Rat Proof
Seal all holes in your walls and ceiling
Rats can squeeze through even the tiniest of spaces in your walls and ceilings. To prevent them from entering your home, ensure that all gaps are sealed. Seal up any cracks or holes with caulk and make sure that there are no cracks anywhere small enough for a rat to fit through.
Use Traps To Keep The Rats Out
Use traps to catch any rats that have moved into your home. Rat traps will kill the rats humanely using a poison that is harmless to humans but lethal to rats. This poison will not harm you or your pets but it is still important to keep it out of reach of children and pets so they do not accidentally ingest the poison used in rat traps.
Wear Rubber Boots And Gloves
Wear rubber boots and gloves when cleaning up after rodents because they tend to carry diseases such as fleas, lice, ticks, and mites that can transfer easily to humans if they come in contact with rodent feces or urine on their clothes or boots while cleaning up after rodents. If you are cleaning up after mice, wear protective clothing such as rubber gloves and a face mask so that you do not breathe in rodent urine or feces from mice accidentally getting on your clothing while cleaning up mice.
Remove Any Possible Food Sources for Rodents
Remove anything from the walls where rodents can get at it like pieces of paper, food containers, foil wrappers, plastic bags, etc. This will prevent them from gaining access to food and water.
Install A Rodent Proof Hardware Store Cover
A rodent-proof hardware store cover is a great way to keep rats out of your house. This covers the hole in the wall where rodents enter. It will stop them from entering your home by preventing them from getting into the area where they can gain access to food and water. The cover will also prevent rats from leaving your home by keeping them out of the cracks around the hardware store cover.
Seal Up Any Cracks or Holes in Your Walls
Seal up any cracks or holes in your walls that are big enough for a rat to fit through using caulk, silicone, or even steel wool. You should seal up all cracks and holes that are small enough for a rat to fit through as well as large ones where you cannot easily caulk them with silicone or steel wool. If there is a crack between two walls, ensure that it is sealed with caulk so that a rat cannot squeeze through it like you are doing here with this gap in between these two walls.
Get Electronic Pest Control
- The best way to get rid of rats is with a professional pest control company. The pest control companies that we recommend are at the top of their game and have helped thousands of customers like you get rid of rats, mice, and other pests. They will provide a free estimate and if you find that their services are worth it, they can come out to your home to exterminate the pests on the spot.
- Another great way to get rid of rats is with an electronic exterminator. These devices will keep your house safe from rodents for years to come without having to use any chemicals or poisons at all. You can buy electronic rat repellers from Amazon or eBay for less than $100, or you can buy them from Home Depot or Lowe’s for hundreds of dollars more! Electronic pest control is a very effective option when it comes time to get rid of rats in your home.
- A third option is to use a glue trap. These are also very effective and will provide you with a rodent-free home without the use of any poisons or chemicals. Many people have used these traps and gotten rid of the rats that were living in their walls and ceilings in less than an hour!
- Another option is to use a snap trap or glue trap. These are very effective as well, and they are relatively inexpensive to buy at most stores around your home. You can find these traps for as little as $3 at most stores, so it’s worth giving them a shot! You can also buy them online from Amazon for less than $10 each!
Conclusion
Rats are destructive and unpleasant pests that can ruin your home. If you have rats in your home, it can feel like an impossible task to get rid of them until you can get them permanently removed from your house. There are several ways to discourage rats from living in your walls and ceiling until you get them permanently removed.