Wherever you live in the United States, you need to be concerned about pests. However, if you live in Texas, you need to add roof rats to your list of pests. Roof rats are a breed of rodents that like to dwell in tall trees, where there aren't as many other animals to hunt them. Unfortunately, from their treetop perches, they can access your roof. Once they're on your roof, they can gain easy access to your home, which is exactly what you want to avoid. Luckily, there are some tricks you can use to reduce your chances of coming in contact with these rodents. Here are three of them.
Rethink Your Bird Feeders and Bird Baths
When it comes to roof rats, they look for two things; food and water. If you have bird feeders and bird baths in your yard, you've given the roof rats everything they need to make them feel right at home. The best way to keep roof rats out of your yard is to get rid of the bird feeders and bird baths. However, if you don't want to do that, there's still a way to keep the rats away. First, hang your bird feeders closer to the ground, instead of higher up in the trees. Second, use bird feeders that don't have open feeding trays. Finally, cover your bird baths at night when rats are more likely to come out of hiding. It's also important that you store your bird food in airtight containers.
Don't Let Ripe Fruit Linger on the Ground
If you have fruit trees in your yard, you need to make sure that the ripened fruit doesn't become another source of food for the rats. Once ripened fruit falls to the ground, roof rats will feed on it. You can prevent that by picking your fruit before it has a chance to fall to the ground. It's also important that you inspect the area around your trees each morning for fruit that might have fallen to the ground during the night.
Mow Your Lawn Before it Gets Too Long
Roof rats may spend the majority of their time in the treetops or on your roof, but they will come down from time to time, especially if your grass is allowed to get too tall. Tall grass is the perfect hiding place for roof rats. You can take that hiding place away by mowing your lawn on a weekly basis.
Don't let the roof rats take over your home. Use the tips provided here to keep them away. If you notice any signs of rodent activity, be sure to call your local rodent control right away.
Share4 May 2018
How often do you double check your front door or make sure that your garage door is closed? Although installing a home security system and giving your children instructions about stranger danger might seem like second nature, some people forget that there are real safety threats sitting around their windowsills. My child was bitten by a poisonous spider a few years ago, and ever since then, I have worked to increase awareness about the importance of pest control. A little pesticide can keep dangerous bugs from seeking refuge in your home and threatening your family. My website discusses different ways to keep your kids safe.