There are several different types of rats in NJ. The most common among these are brown rats and black rats.
NJ is even home to endangered rats — the Allegheny woodrat and the Eastern woodrat.
You might find rat burrows in and around your property, as rats create these nests to protect themselves during harsh weather conditions and from predators. Predators include hawks, owls, and eagles, to name a few.
If you have a rat burrow, you can work with a pest control company to rid yourself of this issue. The best course of action is to create an
Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan for rodent control. This reduces the use of pesticides and toxic rat bait.
This rat bait can wind up poisoning local bird populations when they prey on rats. It can also inadvertently poison other animals that eat rats, including outdoor cats. But IPM can work to control a rat population, using pesticides as a last resort. Here’s what you need to know about rat borrows and this effective method of pest control.
How to Locate a Rat Burrow
It’s common for burrowing rats to nest beneath bushes or other shrubbery. They also look for dense vegetation to take shelter. You may also find a rat nest beneath a deck or porch, or even inside a barn or shed.
But do rats burrow in the ground? Yes.
However, rats aren’t the best diggers but will resort to this if they have to. This is why they gravitate towards areas with a lot of protective covering, such as thick underbrush.
Rats also look for areas close
to food, seeking out fertile soil. As such, you’ll commonly find rats in gardens. They look for nearby water, food, and plenty of safe spaces to build their burrows.
What Does a Rat Nest Look Like in the Home?
If you have a rat nest in your house, you might notice a messy, circular pile of materials that resembles a ball. These nests are usually constructed from different materials collected throughout your home and yard. You might find shredded fabric, leaves, twigs, insulation, and paper in your home, along with other debris gathered to create the rat burrow.
But what does a rat borrow look like?
Rat burrows can be 18 inches deep and may have 3 feet of connecting tunnels, ensuring a safe getaway should predators come looking for rats.
Since rodents can carry an array of diseases, including but not limited to leptospirosis, hantavirus, Tularemia, Salmoells, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV), it’s important to work with a professional pest control company to control the rat population in and around your home.
Rodents can also cause a lot of
property damage which insurance may or may not cover, chewing wires in your car and home. This is also a potential fire hazard, which means you need to prevent these pests from invading your home and vehicles in the first place.
How to Use IPM for Rodent Control
When working with a pest management company, a custom IPM plan may begin with structural maintenance of your property. This means that a professional will look for signs of an infestation and any problematic areas of your home. This may include sealing up any holes rats can enter, plugging them with steel wool or even patching up holes in and outside your home.
You should also remove deep mulch, as rats tend to nest here, along with piles of leaves. Additionally, if there are food or water sources near your home, remove them to prevent rats from infesting your property.
Pesticides are commonly used only if all other means of IPM control have been exhausted. When pesticides are needed, the least toxic ones will be used first before resorting to other chemical applications.
Again, IPM control works to reduce the incidence of pesticide use, protecting people, pets, and the environment from potentially harmful chemicals. This is why a routine pest control plan is so important. When a professional pest control technician regularly inspects your property, they can spot potential pest infestations before they begin.
Prevent Rat Burrows
A rat burrow can appear as a hole in the ground or even as a nest inside your house, constructed of shredded paper, insulation, leaves, and more.
Serene Property Services offers pest management in Sussex County, NJ, along with Warwick, NY. We integrate IPM control and work to reduce the incidence of pests in and around your home.
Contact us today for an estimate and custom pest control plan.
