What Should You Do When You See a Rat?

What Should You Do When You See a Rat?

There are few things more disconcerting than seeing a rat in your home. 

If you do, you'll have difficulty believing "they're more afraid of you than you are of them." Many rats will stare at you, bold as you please, as if challenging you to do something about their presence.

As Houston is one of the rattiest cities in the world, it's vital to know how to react. Because it doesn't matter what neighborhood you live in or how well you clean your house. The chance of a rat encounter is always right around the corner. 

Don't get too close.

Rats aren't generally aggressive, but they're like any other animal. They will respond when they are cornered. A bite or a scratch is one of the easiest ways for rats to transmit the myriad of diseases that they carry. 

The best thing you can do is to move on without confronting the rat directly. Handling one rat won't solve your rat problem anyway. Where you see one, there are, in fact, many. 

Keep pets away from rats. 

Your dog or your cat might be eager to chase rats or fight with them, but they can get seriously hurt. Rats are dirty, dangerous fighters, and every snap of their jaws or swipe of their claws could infect your beloved animal companion with a terrible disease.

A cat might kill and eat a rat out in nature, but that doesn't mean you want your cat to do that in your kitchen.

Seek medical attention if necessary.

If you do get scratched or bitten, or your pet does, it's important to see a doctor or a veterinarian ASAP.

That way, if you contract a rodent-borne disease, your doctor can catch it fast and treat it fast before it progresses too far.

Know what to do about droppings.

If you find rat droppings, you can't just scoop them up in a paper towel or pick them up with a broom. You must literally treat those droppings as biohazards.

The CDC recommends putting on rubber or plastic gloves and spraying the droppings with a bleach solution or an EPA-registered disinfectant until the droppings are very wet. They tell you to let that sit for 5 minutes.

Then, you can grab the paper towels and wipe them up. You should only throw the remains into a covered garbage can that empties regularly. You should then mop or sponge the area with a disinfectant, and then clean your hands thoroughly, and use a hand sanitizer. 

Call us for an inspection.

We've said it before, and we'll say it again. If you see one rat, there are probably hundreds. 

You will never get rid of all those rats on your own. Instead, call us: Houston's expert rat control company.

We'll inspect your home, find your rats, and develop a customized, comprehensive solution that ends your rat problem for good.

Call us today and request a free inspection!