Having pests in your house can be really annoying. When mice invaded my home, I didn't think it was a big deal. However, every night, I could hear them scurrying around in the ceiling and it kept me awake. I tried all kinds of different tricks to catch them but none of them worked. In the end, I called in a pest control company and asked for help. The company were fantastic and they soon eliminated the mice from my home. Since then, I have been finding out as much as I can about how I can protect my home from the threat posed by pests.
How to Stop Rats From Climbing Your Walls, Fences and Trees
If you are having trouble with rats climbing your walls, fences and trees, roof rats are probably to blame. Roof rats or, as some people call them, ship rats, probably arrived with the First Fleet back in 1788, and originally came from India. Unlike brown rats, which are larger and less agile, roof rats are excellent climbers and usually prefer to nest above ground in trees and roofs.
To stop them entering your home and other structures on your property from high up, you need to stop them from doing what they do best — climbing. Fortunately, it isn't too difficult to do that.
Remove Vines From Your Home's Walls
As pretty as vines and ivy can be when in full bloom or in their autumn colours, they provide rats with a ladder-like structure by which they can scale your walls. If roof rats are somehow getting up to your roof, then consider removing vines and ivy from your home's siding or walls.
Remove Anything That Rats Can Use to Jump From
Roof rats can jump about 2 feet into the air. Thus, if there are bushes, trees or other manmade platforms near your fence or home, expect roof rats to use these as a means of leaping onto otherwise unreachable points, such as high fences. Although you might have to reshuffle your yard, and maybe even remove a bush or tree, it might be the only way to stop roof rats from invading.
Use Smooth Materials to Make Surfaces Unclimbable
Despite their impressive ability to climb, roof rats still require a rough surface in order to get a firm foothold as they climb. However, even a concrete surface is rough enough for a roof rat's feet to latch onto. But if replacing your rough fence with one that is smooth-sided, such as a metal fence, is too costly or time-consuming, you can opt to use some smooth materials instead.
To rat-proof your fence, you could cover it with the following materials.
- Perspex or plastic sheeting since this is smooth and seamless.
- A smooth metal sheet like aluminium.
- Some large, smooth tiles.
All of these materials can look attractive when added with care. Moreover, you can also add plastic or metal sheeting to tree trunks, as well as fences.
If roof rats are invading your property, they could be coming from as far away as about 90 metres. As a result, you might need to call in the professionals to assist you in getting rid of your roof-rat menace.
For more information, contact a rat control service in your area.