While many are aware that rats are pests and can also bring disease, sometimes people aren’t too familiar with how bad things get with an infestation. They can go through your food and trash, cause a mess, and possibly get you sick. However, people might not understand how that can worsen if you don’t do anything about it.
The specifics of a rat infestation and asking questions like “are roof rats dangerous” are some of the many things people might not be aware of. Because of this, people may end up treating an infestation lightly. As a result, they allow a greater problem to grow within their homes, farms, or living areas.
So, it’s essential to understand the gravity of a rat infestation. But, aside from that, it’s also important to know what could happen if you leave it unchecked. That way, you understand the risk of having these creatures in places where they shouldn’t be.
The Health Hazards
One of the most significant risks accompanying any rat infestation would be your health. It’s already a well-known fact that rats are disease carriers. However, most people aren’t aware of all the diseases they bring. In addition, many aren’t also aware of how these diseases can spread and how they can be contracted.
Diseases
The list is extensive regarding the diseases rats bring along with them. They’re known to bring over 35 different diseases with them.
Unfortunately, it’s hard to tell which of the different diseases rats can bring with them. So, that’s why people are encouraged to do what they can to discourage rats from entering their homes. By doing so, you at least avoid the risk of getting sick.
However, sometimes people fail to keep rats at bay, and this can consequently expose them to different diseases. As a result, they can get seriously ill and require hospitalization to treat the illness. Sometimes, some of these diseases can even kill you.
So, with all that in mind, you can see why it’s essential to keep these rats away in the first place.
How Do They Spread
Just as there are several diseases that rats can bring, there are also several ways they spread them. Unfortunately, this is another thing that many people tend not to know or understand.
So, there are three main ways rats spread disease. For starters, there’s coming into direct contact with rats. This can happen by accidentally touching a rat or improperly handling a dead one. If this happens to you and you don’t wash your hands or observe proper hygiene after, there is a chance the bacteria can spread through your hands. Rats can also bite you and spread the disease through the wound they inflict on you.
Another way they can spread disease is through contamination. This can happen through their feces and urine. For example, if they happen to be preying on your food, they can contaminate your food with their urine and feces. They can leave their saliva and hair on your food too.
Aside from food contamination, they can also contaminate the dust around your home with their feces and urine. Once this contaminated dust spreads and you breathe them in, there is already a chance you’ve gotten yourself infected with some rat-bourne disease.
Rats can spread their disease through the ticks and fleas attached to them. An infected rat carries the disease and can infect the flea attached to it. The infection then spreads when the infected tick or flea jumps on a human and bites its new host. This is an example of how Lyme disease can spread.
Damage To Your Home
Another risk that comes with an infestation is rats ruining your home. This can happen thanks to the tendency of rats to bite and burrow their way around things.
So, should you find rats invading your home, they might help themselves to different parts of your home’s structure. For example, they could gnaw through the wooden planks that make up your home. Unfortunately, even aluminum sheeting isn’t spared from these gnawing invaders. As they have powerful jaws, there is a chance they could bite through these too.
One other component of your home that rats may chew through would be your wiring. If they chew through the insulation of the wires, they could consequently expose the dangerous parts of the cables. This could then be one of the catalysts of a fire in your house. The scariest part about that is you might not even know rats have done this.
Signs of An Infestation
With all that in mind, it’s essential to do your best to keep rats away from your home. However, it’s also imperative that you pay attention to any signs of infestation. By being on the lookout, you can at least stop any ongoing infestations right away.
But, what should you look out for? For starters, it’s good to look out for any animal droppings around your house. Any debris like food crumbs, bones, fruit seeds, and the like are also things to pay attention to.
Signs of burrow holes or areas in your house that looked like they were gnawed are also signs that rats may be around. Then, of course, any squeaking sounds or scuttling between your walls and on your ceiling may also be a telltale sign of some rats.
If you find any of these signs and feel like there’s an infestation going on, it’s good to act on it right away. You can set up traps, use liquid rat poison, or call a rat exterminator to help you with this. Even if it’s just a hunch, it’s better to be safe than sorry. That way, you avoid the risks that come with a rat infestation.
