18 OCTOBER 11, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES www.qns.com
AT HOME
Rats! How these rodents can ruin your day
Say you've just gotten home after
metro cabinet and flooring
SPECIALIZING IN:
• Kitchen Cabinetry
• Floor Tiles
• Hardwood Flooring
• Granite and Quartz Countertops
• Commercial & Residential Carpeting
100-07 Metropolitan Avenue,
Forest Hills
718.544.2634
Fax: 718.263.2032
COUNTERTOPS
STARTING AT $45 PER SQ. FT.
Including Installation
$600
OFF FOR PURCHASES OF $5000 OR MORE
• FREE 3-D Design
• FREE Estimate
• FREE Measurement
a long day. All you want to do is
put your feet up, but you notice
what looks like rodent droppings on
the floor, find evidence of something
having nibbled at the food in your
kitchen and ... what is that scrabbling
sound coming from inside your walls?
You may feel like panicking at the
thought of rats in your home, but a
little knowledge about these rodents
can go a long way toward preparing
you for what to do in the event of an
infestation. The experts at Terminix
have the answers to some important
questions homeowners might have
about these particular pests.
ARE ALL RATS THE SAME?
While they can all cause damage
to your home, not all rats are created
equal. The main difference lies in their
behavior and general geographic location.
Roof rats, for example, are found
mainly along the coastal regions and
port cities in the U.S. These rats are
excellent climbers, and are known
to use overhanging tree branches or
vines to get into a house. Norway rats
are a separate species that are more
likely to enter your home from the
ground floor.
WHERE DO RATS HIDE?
Rats don't need an open door to
make their way into your home. In fact,
they can fit through a hole as small as
a quarter. Don't start measuring holes
with coins, though - a rat can use its
strong teeth to widen a hole that's too
small to fit through. Once inside, the
type of rat you're dealing with impacts
where the rodents will hide. Norway
rats are more likely to nest on the
ground floor of your home or inside
crawl spaces, while roof rats are more
likely to be found nesting in attics.
But rats aren't picky, and you could
find them in stranger places such as
chimneys or in old furniture.
WHAT DANGERS DOES
A RAT INFESTATION
PRESENT?
Make no mistake - the rat that winds
up in your house isn't the cute-but-cunning
character of cartoons and imagination.
In reality, the rodents present
multiple dangers to your health and to
your home. Not only can rats damage
electrical wiring, wooden beams, insulation
and food stores, they can also
carry pathogens that may transmit diseases
to humans, such as hantavirus.
These pathogens can be transmitted
and even become airborne through
urine and droppings, meaning that you
could be exposed to disease without
ever seeing the rat itself! Because of
this, you should never disturb a rodent
nest, and instead allow a rodent control
professional to handle it.
HOW CAN YOU GET RID OF
A RAT INFESTATION?
Ideally, you'll prevent rats from
entering your home in the first place
through methods such as inspecting
possible entry points and trimming
back trees and shrubbery. But prevention
isn't always possible, even for
the most diligent homeowner. If rats do
make it into your home, contact a pest
control provider such as Terminix.
Trained technicians can help diagnose
what kind of rat you're dealing with
and come up with a treatment plan.
Courtesy BPT
/www.qns.com
