The damp and dark conditions of your property’s drain and sewer systems provide the perfect habitat for a whole host of pests. In these hidden away areas, pests are provided with everything they need to live, eat, and breed. Probably the most damaging pests to your property, and your health, are rats.
When rats invade your drainage or sewage systems, it can be quite hard to spot, as well as being quite challenging to get rid of them. Rats can also easily enter your property through your drains. An easy way of identifying rats in the home is any chewed materials such as chewed paper, food packets and plastic. Another tell-tale sign of rats are their droppings.
How do They Get In?
If the public drainage system is damaged in any way, rats are able to enter. Following this, rats are then very likely to find an easy way into your home’s connecting drains or sewage systems.
Another main cause of rat infestations in your home’s drains is usually due to leaks, holes, cracks, or chips in plumbing or drainage pipes. After entering your drains, rats then also find it very easy to enter your home.
Holes, cracks, and chips normally occur when pipes rust, disconnect, or when a tree root penetrates through an external pipe or drain. A collapsed drain, or problems with the drain lining, can also allow rats to sneak into the drainage system.
Tips on Keeping Your Drains Rat Free
Pipe and drain repair or replacement is a viable choice in order to keep your home’s drains rat free. In many cases however, simply making sure your pipes are sealed and free from any holes will make it a lot harder for rats to find their way into your drains in the first place.
Use a flashlight to locate visible holes or cracks, and either silicone or caulking to seal any exposed entry points into drains, both within your home and outside. If you have no signs of damage in your home’s drains however, or if you see the significant signs of rats in the area, the issue could be from the public drainage system. In this case it’s important to have the issue addressed immediately by a professional, as a drain survey of your system may need to be carried out.
What Do I Do if I have an Infestation in My Drains?
If you already notice a rat infestation in your home’s drains, call us today at House and Home Pest Control for advice, and to make an appointment for an inspection.
As part of our process of resolving the problem, we usually first complete a drain survey. This is where we insert a camera into the drain in order to check for damage. If damage is found, a sleeve or a rat flap is typically installed in order to prevent any further entry to your property. Our drain experts will then also be able to advise you with the best preventative measures for your drainage system, in order to keep rats out of your drains for good.
Contact Us
At House and Home Pest Control, we offer multiple pest control solutions depending on the type and severity of the problem. Also, when you choose us, you can rest assured that no matter how many times we have to return to your home, we will get the job done at the price we have quoted with no hidden fees.
So, if you’re worried about rats in your drains, contact House and Home Pest Control today.