Finding droppings? Hearing scurrying sounds in your walls?
Rat infestations aren’t just unpleasant or embarrassing. They’re a serious threat to your home, finances, and your health.
Don’t let these silent invaders put you at risk. Understand the ways they threaten your life…and take action.
Danger #1: Diseases
Rats carry and transmit several diseases that are unpleasant at best and deadly at worst. Examples include:
- Hantavirus
- Leptospirosis
- Salmonellosis
- Rat-Bite Fever
- Black Plague
We don’t even have room to list them all here, because rats are known to carry over 35 diseases worldwide.
Danger #2: Food Contamination
Rats wait until you go to sleep, then run around on your countertops and in your cabinets. They try to chew their way into stored food and drink out of your faucet.
They don’t just carry pathogens. They cover your home in them as well. It’s only a matter of time before someone gets infected.
Danger #3: Allergies & Asthma Triggers
Rat dander, droppings, and urine can all go airborne. Any of these can trigger severe reactions in anyone who has any kind of respiratory disease.
Children and the elderly are especially at risk.
Danger #4: Rat Bites
Though rat bites are rare, they do happen, especially when a rat feels cornered. The wounds are painful, and the potential for disease transmission is high.
Danger #5: Structural Damage
Rats gnaw constantly. It’s in their nature: they need to keep their teeth sharp. But it doesn’t help your home out when they destroy wood beams, drywall, insulation, pipes, and foundations.
Danger #6: Electrical Fires
The more rats chew on the wires, the more they’re likely to hit a live one. While that might not be good for the individual rat it happens to, it’s not great for you either. Those sparks can jump right to something flammable.
Danger #7: Poor Air Quality
Rats nest in your insulation, saturating it with urine and feces. The smells eventually circulate into your entire house. Meanwhile your insulation does a poorer job keeping the hot or cold air inside your home, leading to increased energy bills.
Danger #8: Leaks
Rats gnaw at PVC or PEX pipes too, which leads to leaks. This in turn leads to water damage and possible mold growth within the walls. Your house becomes devalued—perhaps even unlivable.
Danger #9: Psychological Stress
Rats can be downright distressing. When you know you have rats in your home, you worry about all the contamination, damage, and potential encounters we’ve talked about. The sleepless nights just aren’t worth it.
Solve Your Rat Problem Today
A rat infestation is more than a nuisance. It’s a profound risk that needs to be addressed right away.
Fortunately, rat removal costs less than you think. Reach out to Elite Wildlife to schedule an inspection today.
