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Tag Archives: Rats

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3 Signs Your Home Has Rat Damage

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Wall holes, chewed wires, and feces piles – these are just a few unpleasant side effects of having rats take over your home. But, sometimes, their presence isn’t always obvious. Here are a few signs to watch out for and some tips to keep them away.

Three Signs Your Home Has Rat Damage

You Hear Running in the Walls: A common sign that your home has rats is that you hear them scurrying through the walls. This pest loves the dark and damp conditions of crawl spaces, attics, and basements. To get to the different sections, they’ll chew through the walls and create tunnels. The sound of them running in the walls indicates that they’re moving to different portions of your home – something which can be very concerning.

You Notice Droppings: Another sure indicator that your living space has rats is that you notice their feces. This unsightly mess leaves behind feces that are about ¾-inch long making them look like rice grains. You can tell if they’re fresh or not by looking at the color. If they look gray, they’ve been there for a while. But, if they’re black, it’s recent.

There Are Holes in Food Containers and Around the Walls: To get what they need, rats will chew into things. To satisfy their appetite, they’ll search for food. If they can’t easily obtain it, they’ll gnaw at the containers until they can.

Rats will also bite into your walls so they can find good living conditions. This passageway is very obvious and looks like a small, open doorway in your baseboards.

How to Prevent Rats

Close Vents: Most of the time, open vents are what encourage rats to sneak into your home. If outdoor vents are propped open, this creature will slide inside and crawl through them. Because the vents connect to your duct system, any debris they leave behind will get sorted into your home’s air circulation. It will also lead them to your attic where they could end up making a nest.

Don’t Leave Food Outdoors: Leaving open trash cans or food outdoors will only invite rats to your residence. You’ll want to make sure to keep edible items sealed and away from your home.

Use Peppermint Oil: Rats detest peppermint oil. By placing a few cotton balls soaked in it around their nest or in areas where they might sneak in, you easily deter them.

Rats are pesky animals that can cause severe home damage. If you’re concerned you might have a pest problem or want to ensure it doesn’t happen, give RCS a call. We’ll send a team out to inspect your home and get to work quickly fixing any issues.

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5 Signs of Termite Damage

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Your home will unfortunately come into contact with many pests that could cause destruction if not removed. One of the most common is termites. While they might not be obvious, they can cause significant damage. Below you’ll discover more behind these menacing insects and some signs that they might be causing damage around your living space.

What are Termites?

Termites are tiny insects that look similar to ants. However, unlike ants, they have a white body and are only about ¼-inch long.

Are Termites Dangerous?

This invisible creature isn’t necessarily dangerous to human health like rats or cockroaches, but their damage can be. When termites strike, they will wear down certain home parts which could cause structural damage. This could also result in irritating dust and mold spores that could spread throughout your home.

5 Signs of Termite Damage

Mud Tubes on Walls and Ceilings: One of the most obvious signs that you have termite damage is if you see mud tubes on your home’s walls or ceilings. These are tunnels for the termites to travel through to get to different parts of their colony. Termites will make these tubes out of dirt and mud and pack them tightly on the wall to ensure they stay protected from predators.

Small Holes in the Wall: Termites will eat holes into the wall where they can later leave fecal matter. These holes are very small and will look like black specks.

Wing Piles: If you notice piles of wings on the floor, you probably have a termite problem. Young termites need wings to fly to their new habitat. Once they arrive, they will discard their wings. While the wings can be found indoors, they are usually located around your home’s foundation.

Buckling Floors: Buckling floors might look like water damage, but they could be a sign of termites. Termites will form small tunnels beneath the floor which can weaken it. This will result in it warping and making creaking sounds as you walk across it.

Clicking Sounds Behind Your Walls: Another sign you might have a termite infestation is if you hear clicking sounds behind your walls. Termites will hit their heads against wood to make this sound as a way to warn other colony members of potential danger.

Termites can be very harmful to both your home and health if not eradicated. RCS offers reconstruction contract work to quickly fix any destruction these pesky insects might have caused.

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3 Common Home Pests

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Many homeowners have to watch out for nasty pests that like to live in their home. While these can be unsightly to find running around in your living space, they can also bring diseases. Because of this, it’s important to get rid of them as soon as possible. Below you’ll find more about why they are so dangerous and some of the most common types found in homes.

The Dangers of Pests in the Home

Pests aren’t only a nuisance, but can bring serious health hazards with them. Some of the most common problems they cause include:

  • Allergic reactions
  • Asthma attacks
  • Lyme disease
  • Headaches
  • Fevers

3 Common Home Pests

Cockroaches: Cockroaches can quickly populate and spread a foul odor throughout your home. They often get into your residence by hiding in bags, furniture, or pipes.

Rodents: Rodents can spread numerous diseases, some of which can be fatal. They leave behind urine, droppings, and saliva that can be difficult to see at first. These pests tend to enter homes through cracks, vents, and chimney openings.

Termites: Termites are notorious home pests. Because of their small size, they can be invisible to the human eye, but their damage is very obvious once it begins. Termite damage can result in buckling floors, wood dust, and mud tubes on the edges of walls.

How to Prevent Them

There are a few different ways you can safely prevent these pests from stopping by your living space.

Apply Peppermint Oil to Areas: To keep pests away, consider applying peppermint oil to areas they congregate in. You can put about five drops on a cotton ball and then place it around the spots of concern. This will help deter rodents and numerous types of insects.

Make Sure to Clean: One of the most common reasons pests enter the home is because they’re looking for a place to live or find food. It’s crucial to clean up any leftover food and trash and ensure your trash cans are tightly closed to prevent enticing pests.

Seal Gaps Around Doors and Windows: If there are gaps around your doors or windows, it can invite pests to crawl through. You can do this by applying a layer of caulking around the edges. You could also tape weather stripping around them.

Finding pests crawling through your home can be a huge inconvenience and health risk. By keeping these tips in mind, you can keep them away. If you’re currently experiencing rodent  problems in your home, RCS can help. We offer a rat dropping clean-up service that ensures these hazardous particles are quickly and safely removed.