Keeping Your Property Safe from Rats

Pet rats, or fancy rats as they’re often known, can be very sweet. They make great pets and are more tactile and friendly than many hamsters and gerbils. But it’s probably fair to say no one wants to find wild rats near their property – much less inside them.

This is also the time of year when they want to get shelter from the elements. As the weather turns colder, they want to keep warm just as we do. Shelter is very important to humans and rats aren’t much different in this respect.

So this would be an excellent time to make sure your property isn’t offering a great opportunity for them to get in. Even if you cannot see them anywhere close by outside, that doesn’t mean they are not there. And if they find a way in, you can bet they will use it.

To this end, make sure you check the perimeter of your property to make sure there are no gaps or areas that could present an opportunity for them to get in. You should seal up any gaps anyway, as they can prevent mice from getting in too. They only need a space as big as a ballpoint pen to go through in order to access your property, so bear that in mind. Rats need bigger spaces, but if you have anything like that, seal it up now before the weather really turns colder.

Additionally, make sure you aren’t offering up any easy-to-access food sources for them. Most of us have a dustbin outside. Make sure yours is never overflowing, otherwise you could end up attracting vermin. If they know there is a food source available, you can bet they will make the most of it. If your dustbin lid regularly flies off in the wind, pop a brick or other heavy stone on top of it to prevent this happening.

There’s another perk to sealing up all the gaps, and that’s to make your home less likely to lose heat through the winter. You never know how cold it will get in Scotland this year, so make these changes and checks now to see how beneficial it could be for you. While you want to prevent rats from getting in, it’s good to know you won’t have to worry about the heat getting out either. And if you already have a vermin problem, there’s always an expert who can help.