What Are Rats Attracted To: How Do I Keep Them Away This Winter?

Rats are attracted to what’s already inside your home. So how do you keep rats away this winter? We have tips to prevent a festering rodent problem. 

As the weather gets colder and we start yet another winter season in Montgomery County, it’s time to consider what kinds of critters may be coming inside your home for some warmth and shelter. Rats are one of the most common pests you’ll find in your home during the winter.

Dealing with an unwanted rat infestation in your Montgomery County home is difficult and dangerous. These rodents carry life-threatening diseases and can contaminate your food if you don’t take the proper precautions.

By the end of this article, you’ll know what attracts rats into your home and how you can keep rats away this winter.

What Are Rats Attracted To?

The first step on how to prevent rats from getting into your home this winter is to identify what may be attracting them. Some of these things may surprise you.

Food of Any Kind

Of course, rats are most attracted to food. A home with easy access to food of any kind, including scraps and crumbs, virtually asks rodents to invade your home. This is especially true during the winter because rats need to eat twice as much compared to the warmer seasons.

Rats also eat just about anything, including garbage, which we’ll discuss a little later. The bottom line is that leaving food out on the counters or in unsealed containers is a surefire way to get a rat problem.

Shelter and Comfort

You probably turn on your heat during the winter months and make it nice and cozy. You and your family aren’t the only ones who enjoy this comfort; rats are also in search of it.

Since rats do not hibernate during the winter, they must find a place to survive and stay warm. A heated home with easy openings and access makes the perfect winter hideout for them. Our experts can come to inspect your home to find any possible ways rats can sneak inside. 

Compost

If you are environmentally friendly and have a compost pile in your yard or a container in your kitchen, you could be attracting rats into your home. Remember when we mentioned that rats eat just about anything? Compost is included!

These decomposing scraps of food are perfect for rats to feast upon during the winter. It’s even better than digging through garbage cans for them because everything is organic.

If you keep your compost outside on your property, rats will quickly realize the food deposited there comes from inside the home. Plus, the compost pile itself can provide warmth, so who knows how many could be living in there?  

Water

Another basic necessity that rats are on the lookout for is water. Leaking pipes in your walls create puddles that are a perfect setting for rats to come and quench their thirst.

Sinks or showers that are slow to drain or retain water may also attract rats since the water sits for them to drink. Whether inside or outside of your Montgomery County home, sitting water is an open invitation for a rat infestation.

Pet Waste

Rats eat just about anything – and we mean anything. Pet waste is yet another thing that attracts rats into your home or property. If you have a cat with a litter box in your home, rats may find their way to it. Or, if you don’t pick up after your dog, rats may come searching for it.

How to Keep Rats Out of Your Home

Now that you know what rats are attracted to, it’s time to take the necessary precautions to keep those pesky rodents out of your home once and for all.

Keep Food in Containers

Try not to leave food open and uncovered on your kitchen counters or tables, especially overnight. Always keep food in sealed containers or packages to avoid rats from smelling it and coming into your home.

Now, this isn’t to say that rats won’t eat through packaging like cardboard, plastic, and paper to get to the food, though. Keeping food sealed and put away is just a precaution you can take to avoid getting rats in your home.

Use Tight Lids on Garbage Cans

When you see a rat on the street, it’s probably scavenging through some trash bags waiting to be picked up. Now imagine that same rat hiding in the trash bins you have next to your garage at home.

Keeping trash cans with tight sealing lids on them is essential to deter rats from entering your home during the winter. Both the garbage bins you keep outside to bring to the street, and the one in your kitchen should have a lid to keep these rodents from finding their next meal.

Block Off Entry Points

Rats are sneaky little rodents who can find their way through the narrowest spaces. They are also known to chew through vents, walls, and doors to get inside homes. This isn’t too surprising since their little jaws have 6,000 pounds of pressure per square inch.

Examine your Montgomery County home for bite marks, open holes, or crawl spaces that rats may come through this winter for warmth and food. If you don’t want to crawl around under your house looking for rats, our highly-trained technicians can perform a thorough inspection.

Repair Leaky Pipes

One last examination of your home should be your plumbing. Ensure all of your pipes are secure and there aren’t any leaks. Check in the basement and underneath every sink in your home.

If you see a leak, it’s time to grab your toolbox and make some adjustments to make sure the puddles of water don’t attract rats.

Montgomery County’s #1 Solution to Getting Rid of Rats During the Winter

Even after all of your preventative efforts to keep rats out of your Montgomery County home, you may still find that one or two slipped through. If this is the case, then you need Brody Brothers Pest Control on the job.

As the area’s leading pest control company, we take pride in our effective and environmentally-conscious mouse extermination and prevention methods. Our team of trained experts will help you keep your family safe from unwanted rats carrying dangerous diseases this winter. Contact us to schedule a consultation to see how we can get those rats out of your home.