Indoor rat infestations can get pretty bad, but when the rats set up outdoors on your property, they can be a nightmare to remove. Let’s take a look at how the rat control process works when rats infest outdoor areas.
Yard infestations
You may have a lot of things in your yard that are attractive to rats. For example, you might put up bird feeders, which contain seeds and which are very attractive to rats. Or, you have compost stored on your property, which rats sometimes eat and build burrows in. Other factors that may draw rats to a property are consistent water sources, natural clutter that can be used as shelter and fruit trees or a garden.
Yards can also be much safer than being outside in a field, where there are snakes, birds of prey and other natural rat predators. So there are a lot of incentives for rats to set up in the yard, and once they do, they will start to grow in numbers fast because the conditions can be very favorable. To make matters worse, the infestation will often spill indoors and you could have a whole-property infestation.
It can be difficult to remove such an infestation, because poisons will have to be used, which usually require a permit when they are used outdoors. A pest control professional will usually have such a permit and he will know which poisons are best used in this scenario.
Farm infestations
When rats infest a farm, things can get quite dire. On a farm, rats have access to endless space, plenty of shelter and a lot of food. They will go for grains, eggs, baby chicken, seeds and any other type of food that they can find. This will cause their population to explode. Not only that, but rats can cause some damage on the farm, and even worse, they can spread diseases to various food supplies and other animals.
Unfortunately, farm infestations can be hard to prevent fully, so rats may show up here and there even if you implement control measures. However, their populations can be in check, and in these situations, it’s best to work with a pest control team as well.
For more information on how outdoor rat infestations are prevented and kept under control, or if you are currently dealing with an infestation, contact us today and we will help you out.