Is Professional Rat Control Really Worth It?

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If you've ever tried to get rid of a rat infestation in the home yourself before, there's a good chance that you'll have some appreciation for the work that professional rat trappers and control technicians do. Rats are unpredictable, constantly-adapting, hardy creatures that really have managed to stand the test of time, and they've even tried to wipe us out a few times with the many diseases threats that accompany them, too.



Professional rat control is really worth it, and we can give you a hundred and one reasons why. How about we get started with ten and let you make your own mind up?

1 - Professional rat control experts have the right experience and knowledge to get the job done effectively and efficiently. If you don't really know what you're looking for as far as rat holes are concerned, there's a good chance you'll miss one or two during the sealing process, and this will enable the critters to come right back in again.

2 - Professional rat control experts are licensed and insured to do the job they do, so you are putting your faith in the right hands when you look for those accreditations. If the company or individual you are dealing with can't offer you something in the form of licensing or insurance information, it might be worth you doing some further investigation before you sign on the dotted line or part with your hard-earned cash.

3 - Because they are insured, professional rat trappers and rat removal experts can do certain repairs on your property. Unless they are a fully qualified electrician, plumber or roof tiler, there's a good chance they won't be able to help you with severe damage to those areas of your home, but with damaged drywall, mold-covered attic spaces, or even occasionally the replacement of attic insulation, the expert help sure does come in handy sometimes.

4 - The professionals will know the right - and, therefore, wrong - materials to seal up and repair the damage that rats have caused. Drywall isn't an effective barrier against rats because they can chew right through it, and you can add soft metals, some brick and concrete work, plastic plumbing pipes, your personal belongings and paperwork, soft furnishings, wood, vinyl, rubber and a whole load more to the list of materials that are practically useless against a rat infestation.

5 - Using professionals to get rid of rats in the house actually often works out to be the most inexpensive method. Repellents and deterrents can be quite pricey, especially when you opt for something that boasts the latest technological advances. (Traps with wifi - Why?) These so-called repellents don't work so well in many instances, so actually end up being a total waste of your money anyway. By the time you've paid out for traps, cleaning materials, repellents, and whatever else you need to make it look like the rats were never there, including repair materials, you'll find it's usually cheaper just to call up the professionals ... even with an emergency, same-day appointment!

6 - Rats are pretty dangerous creatures, with the ability to not only inflict actual wounds that may require medical intervention, but also spread disease - and some pretty nasty diseases, too. Rabies has been passed from rats to humans, and that's the tip of a very large iceberg. Different species of rats come with different disease threats, and the threats change from place to place around the world too, but the diseases associated with rats are plentiful and unpleasant. You mustn't forget the impact that the Black Death had on human populations all those years ago.

7 - Rat trappers and control technicians know what they're doing. Even if they're a relative beginner to the industry, there's a good chance that the training they will have gone through, alongside shadowing existing experts in the field, still puts them many steps ahead of the average homeowner who still thinks it's okay to use poison to get rid of rats. (It's not okay to use poison to get rid of rats by the way; rats are actually immune to the stuff now.)

8 - Rats leave masses of waste behind. Feces can spread disease, as can urine, but the two can also leave messages for other rats too, potentially even attracting rats to your home that weren't there before. Pheromones are responsible for the communications, and if you leave any shred of urine in your hoe, you are leaving that communication system in place. You must make sure that you clean rat feces and urine away properly to avoid them from coming back. Experts know this, and they also have a pretty good system in place to make sure the entire situation is dealt with ... and all included in the price you were quoted at the beginning of the job. It's great value for money!

9 - If you skip or mess up a single step in the rat removal and rat-proofing operation, you will be right back where you started again. It takes just two months for a female to mate with a male, go through a full three or four week pregnancy, give birth to multiple young, and then go into mating season again. Getting this wrong is going to cost you more money and more time - The professionals probably would have got it right first time.

10 - Rat removal is a really dirty job and if you don't have the appropriate safety equipment to get everything removed safely, you are putting your life on the line. It really could be as serious as life-or-death, especially when you look at diseases such as rabies or Histoplasmosis. By hiring the professionals, you don't need to get involved at all. Give them a call, show them where all the commotion is happening, and then let them take care of all the hard work for you.

That's what they are there for, after all!

Go back to the Rat Removal page, or learn tips to do it yourself with my How to Get Rid of Rats guide.