How Long Will It Take To Remove Rats From a Building

Need rat removal in your hometown? We service over 500 USA locations! Click here to hire us in your town and check prices - updated for year 2020.

Rats are an animal that can be a real nuisance when they have infested a building, whether that is a commercial or domestic property, and it can take a fair amount of work to get rid of them once they are in. There are of course plenty of variables when it comes to dealing with a pest animal, and the size of the building and the number of rats present can both contribute to how difficult it is to deal with the rats. There are also several different approaches that you can take to solving the problem, but most important of all is that you shouldn't ignore signs of rats, as they certainly will not go away without intervention.



The Problems With Dealing With A Rat Infestation

There are several challenges that people will face when they are dealing with a rat infestation, and these can all have an impact on how quickly and effectively you can deal with the problem. Rats will usually inhabit the darker and quieter areas of any building, so if these areas are difficult to access, then that can make it more difficult to deal with the infestation. Another issue that can also contribute to how long it will take you to deal with the infestation will be the size of the building, as if the rats are concentrated in a smaller space, they can be easier to remove.

How To Deal With The Rats

The first thing to note is how not to deal with the rats, as many people will still consider using poison, but this causes more problems as you cannot predict where the rats will then die, so this is a method to avoid. Trapping is usually the best method of dealing with these little rodents, and you will need to examine the area around the building for signs of rat activity, as these areas are the best places to put the traps. The simple snap traps will usually be sufficient for this work, and make sure you use a good bait such as peanut butter or marshmallows, which are both successful in attracting rats.

How Long Will It Take?

The truth is that it isn't particularly straightforward to tell exactly how long it will take to remove all of the rats from a building, and in some cases it will be easier than others. If there are only a small number of rats in the building, then it can often be dealt with within a week or two, but for larger infestations in larger buildings, then it can take significantly longer than this to completely remove the rats. The key if you are carrying out this work is to be persistent, and check your traps regularly so that you are removing any carcasses quickly and getting the trap back in action.

Preventing Future Rat Infestations

Once you have been checking the areas of rat activity without seeing any fresh signs, this will usually be a good indication that you have successfully dealt with the problem. In order to stop future infestations, make sure that you seal any holes that the rats were using to get in and around the building. It is also worth trying to see if there were any particular food sources the rats were using, as trying to remove these attractive features can help to prevent rats from being drawn to the area. It is also worth regularly monitoring the areas where you found traces of rat activity, so that you can act promptly if you see any future signs of rats being present. For more information, you may want to click on one of these guides that I wrote:
How much does rat removal cost? - get the lowdown on prices.
How to get rid of rats - my main rat removal info guide.
Example rat trapping photographs - get do-it-yourself ideas.
Rat job blog - learn from great examples of rat jobs I've done.