Rats are a common problem in many households and can pose a variety of health concerns when left unchecked. Whether you’re dealing with a rat infestation in your home or workplace, it’s important to take action quickly to prevent further health issues. In this post, we’ll discuss the various diseases rats carry along with health concerns that come with letting a rat problem go on too long and how to prevent and get rid of these pesky rodents. Additionally, we’ll discuss how Dewey Pest Control can help eliminate rodents in any of their California locations.
Health Concerns Associated With Rats
What diseases do rats carry?
Rats are known carriers of several dangerous diseases that can be transmitted to humans, either directly or indirectly. Here are some of the most common diseases carried by rats:
1. Hantavirus
Transmission: Inhalation of dust contaminated by rat urine, droppings, or saliva.
Symptoms: Fever, muscle aches, fatigue, respiratory distress, and severe lung disease.
Risk: Potentially fatal if untreated.
2. Leptospirosis
Transmission: Contact with water, soil, or food contaminated with rat urine.
Symptoms: High fever, headaches, chills, muscle aches, vomiting, jaundice, and kidney damage.
Risk: Can cause severe organ damage or death if untreated.
3. Rat-Bite Fever
Transmission: Bites or scratches from infected rats, or contact with rat urine or feces.
Symptoms: Fever, vomiting, rash, muscle pain, and joint pain.
Risk: Can lead to serious complications if untreated, including heart infections.
4. Salmonella
Transmission: Ingestion of food or water contaminated by rat feces.
Symptoms: Diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps, and vomiting.
Risk: Can cause dehydration and severe illness, especially in vulnerable populations.
5. Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV)
Transmission: Contact with rat saliva, urine, droppings, or contaminated materials.
Symptoms: Flu-like symptoms, including fever, headache, stiff neck, and fatigue.
Risk: Can lead to neurological diseases, particularly in pregnant women and immunocompromised individuals.
6. Tularemia
Transmission: Handling infected rats or through bites from contaminated fleas or ticks.
Symptoms: Skin ulcers, swollen lymph glands, fever, and respiratory issues.
Risk: Can become severe if untreated, though it is relatively rare.
7. Toxoplasmosis
Transmission: Through rat feces; can infect humans if indirectly transmitted through cats.
Symptoms: Flu-like symptoms or asymptomatic in healthy individuals, but serious for those with weakened immune systems or pregnant women.
Risk: Can cause complications like brain inflammation or birth defects.
8. E. coli
Transmission: Through contact with rat feces-contaminated food or water.
Symptoms: Diarrhea, abdominal pain, and sometimes severe complications like kidney failure.
Risk: Severe dehydration or hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS) in vulnerable individuals.
9. Murine Typhus
Transmission: Via fleas that infest rats.
Symptoms: Fever, rash, headaches, and muscle pain.
Risk: Generally mild, but can be more serious in certain individuals
Preventing and Getting Rid of Rats
The best method of rat prevention is to keep your home or workplace clean and tidy. This includes storing food in airtight containers, sealing cracks and holes in walls and floors, and keeping garbage in tightly sealed containers. It’s also important to keep yards and outdoor areas clean and free of debris, as rats can use these areas for nesting. Being proactive and taking measures to keep rats out is the best approach when determining how to prevent them from entering your home or business.
If you suspect you have a rat problem, it’s important to take action quickly. There are a variety of ways to get rid of rats, including:
- Snap traps. These are the classic traps most people think of when it comes to catching rats or mice. They come in a variety of styles, from simple wooden boards with a trigger and metal bar intended to be discarded once a rat is caught to more expensive models that can be used multiple times. There are even high-tech models that will send a notice to your cell phone when a rat has been caught.
- A more indirect method is to place poison in areas where you’ve observed signs of rat activity. Poisons come in various types, including blocks and pellets, and can often be placed in a special housing. Care must be taken when utilizing poisons so that children and animals cannot access them. Poison can also be harmful to any wild animals that may eat a poisoned rat.
- Catch-and-release traps. If you prefer a more humane method, catch-and-release traps are an option. These traps contain a pressure plate on which you place your bait. When the rat steps on the plate, the doors of the trap will close, trapping the rat inside. You can then take the trap to a new location to release your rodent prisoner. Choose a remote space away from residential areas so the rat doesn’t invite itself into someone else’s home, but be sure to choose an area that provides sources of food and water to maximize the rat’s chances of survival.
- Exclusion is an important aspect of rodent control because it helps to prevent rodents from entering a structure in the first place, rather than just trying to remove them after they have already infested the area. By sealing up entry points and gaps in walls, floors, and roofs, you can keep rodents out of your home or building and reduce the likelihood of a serious infestation.
Professional pest control services can also be an effective way to get rid of rats. These services use safe and effective methods to eliminate rodents and prevent further infestations. Additionally, professional pest control services can provide tips and recommendations for preventing future infestations.
Dewey Pest Control and Rodent Elimination
Dewey Pest Control is a trusted pest control company with locations throughout California. They specialize in a variety of pest control services, including rodent elimination. Dewey Pest Control uses safe and effective methods to eliminate rodents and prevent future infestations. Their technicians are highly trained and knowledgeable and can provide tips and recommendations for keeping your home or workplace free of rats and other pests.
Dewey Pest Control is an expert in rodent exclusion services. Our experience identifying rodent entry points and offering services that include sealing gaps around doors and windows, repairing holes in walls and floors, and installing screens or other barriers to prevent rodents from entering. By combining exclusion techniques with other rodent control measures, such as trapping and baiting, you can effectively reduce the population of rodents in your home or building and prevent them from causing damage or spreading disease.
One of the benefits of using Dewey Pest Control for rodent elimination is their commitment to using safe and eco-friendly methods. They use products and methods that are safe for pets and children and are committed to reducing their environmental impact. With nearly 100 years of experience in the pest control field, you can count on Dewey Pest Control to handle your rat problem in an effective and professional manner.
Don’t Wait—Call Dewey Today
If you have or suspect you have a rat infestation, it’s important to act quickly to contain the situation, as it can swiftly spiral out of control. Rats reach sexual maturity between eight and 12 weeks of age, and females go into heat every four to five days. Rats have a short gestation period of roughly three weeks and can give birth to over a dozen babies at a time. This means that two rats reproducing can quickly multiply into dozens and then hundreds of rats. While home remedies are available, there is no guarantee of their success. If you’re in California and want to ensure that your rat problem is handled by people with the skills and expertise to effectively control rodents, contact Dewey Pest Control today!
