5 Signs You Have A Rat Infestation In Your Garden
If you enjoy gardening and raising plants in your yard, rats can become a nightmare if you let them. A rat infestation can ruin all your hard work in a matter of days. But rats aren't just a risk to your plants and veggies. If given half a chance, rats will invade your home too. And if that happens, they could contaminate your home and your food.
Are you worried that rats are running rampant in your garden? Look for the following signs of rat habitation and prepare to call an animal removal service.
1. Plants and veggies that disappear overnight
If you have noticed that your veggies or plants are disappearing overnight, then rats could be to blame. Rats commonly attack and eat plants from below ground, pulling at them by the roots. This is different from other animals, such as rabbits, which chew at plants from above.
So if your plants disappear overnight, you could have rats nesting in your garden below the soil.
2. Greasy marks on walls, fences, and other structures
Rats memorize pathways that run parallel to walls, fences, and structures. As they move, they leave dark streaks wherever their bodies rub. Check the boundaries of your yard for grease marks.
3. Gnawing damage to fences, gates, and doors
As you check your garden's boundaries, also check gates, doors, and fences for gnawing damage. Rats have very strong teeth and can chew through plastic and wood quite easily if they need to create an opening.
4. Burrows in the ground close to water or food
Brown rats tend to build their nests in the ground close to food and water. If you have found one or more unexplained burrows of around six to nine inches in diameter in your garden, then rats likely caused these openings. You could have a rat colony directly underneath your garden.
5. Sausage-shaped droppings about ½ inch in length
One of the most obvious signs of rats is the droppings that they leave wherever they congregate. If you find sausage-shaped droppings in the areas where you suspect the rats to be most active, then you likely have a rat infestation in your yard.
If you have found these signs of rats in your yard, then call an animal removal expert as soon as you can. Rats breed notoriously fast, and one nest in your garden could lead to an infestation in your home in the near future. Call an animal removal service to identify and remove the rats.