Arlington Pest Control
What to Do If You Find Rats in Your House in Arlington
Mice are pesky, but rats are bigger and nastier. This also makes them more dangerous. Here’s what to do if you find rats in your house in Arlington. Rats are great pets if you buy them from the store. They’re intelligent, curious, and can live up to a few years if you treat them with care. When there are wild rats in your house, though, those qualities become a little terrifying.
Who wants a large, curious, intelligent animal crawling around their home looking for food? To top it all off, you have no idea if your rat infestation comes along with diseases.
We’re going to give you some advice on what to do if you find rats living in your Arlington home.
You Have Rats in Your House: What Do You Do?
The first thing to do before you take action is to ensure that you’re dealing with rats. If you’ve seen the critter already, you can be sure. If you’re assuming, though, take a look at some of the evidence. Rats will typically leave more damage to your baseboards, furniture, and fabrics. Their droppings range from one-half to three-quarters of an inch long, whereas mouse droppings are small and pointed at the ends.
After You’ve Identified the Pest
Once you know that it’s a rat, make sure to get an idea of where it’s living in your home. Rats typically leave a trail of gnaw marks, holes, and occasional grease marks stretching to and from their main sources of food. Finding these signs can give you an idea of where they entered, where they are, and what to do to get rid of them. Make sure to seal off all large cracks, spaces, and window openings that rats could crawl through.
Additionally, make sure that you rid the place of any food or clutter they could get at. Garbage cans, old dishes, open food containers in cabinets, and crumbs are all great sources of food for rats. They also like to live in cluttered areas like garages filled with untouched objects, closets, and messy living spaces. A deep clean of your home is an excellent way to cut the rats’ food source and potential living space.
Set a Series of Traps
Your next move is to set traps around the areas that you think the rats are hiding. If you’re lucky, you can catch the problem early. The longer you wait, the more time you give the rats to reproduce and further infest your home. When the problem gets out of control, you will be hard-pressed to take care of it on your own. There are a number of options for traps, including those that simply contain the animal until you come home and let it loose elsewhere. You can also get traps that end the rat’s life if you want to ensure there’s no chance of it coming back.
Do You Need Professional Help?
Whether you have mice or rats in your house, there’s a chance that the problem has gotten out of hand. Single pests are sneaky, often going unseen. That means that by the time you notice the problem, there’s a decent chance that there are numerous pests in your home.
Explore our site for more information on how to take care of pests, including how to know when it’s time to call the professionals in Arlington, Virginia.
11 Awesome Things to Do in Arlington, VA
Arlington, VA is full of activities for all ages. This residential, business and tourist location is one of America’s favorite places.
Do you live here or plan to visit soon? If so, you’ll never be at a loss of fun things to do in Arlington, VA.
Arlington lies along the Potomac River and west of the nation’s capital, which makes it a top choice for vacations, conventions and meetings.
Read more about 11 things to do in Arlington, VA that will keep your whole family entertained.
1. Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetery is across the Potomac River from Washington D.C. It holds the graves of soldiers who perished in wars from the Civil War to current times. Also, President John F. Kennedy is buried here.
2. Mount Vernon Trail
This 17-mile paved trail runs between Mount Vernon and Rosslyn. It’s located along the Potomac River and features views of Washington, D.C.
3. Pentagon Tour
The United States Department of Defense is in the Pentagon, which is the biggest low-rising office building in the world. You can take a walking tour through the building for an educational tour.
4. Twilight Tattoo
Twilight Tattoo features a live performance of the Third U.S. Infantry Regiment and the U.S. Army Band. The performance is located at Summerall Field.
5. Rosslyn Metro Escalator
The Rosslyn Metro Escalator is 207 feet making it one of the longest and steepest escalators in the world. It’s in the Rosslyn Metro Station.
6. Gravelly Point Park
Experience the thrill of thundering jets landing at Washington National Airport. Gravelly Point Park is a grassy, picnic spot where you can see aircraft flying directly over your head.
Remember to think about mosquito control when you’re spending time in grassy areas.
7. Synetic Theater
This award-winning theatre is famous for its motion performances. The actors use dance and gestures to portray Shakespearean plays. There is no talking.
8. The Netherlands Carillon
Located in the George Washington Memorial Parkway, the Netherlands Carillon is a steel tower with 50 bells. The Dutch people gave it as a gift to recognize the help they received from America during and after World War II. Colorful flowers, walking lanes and sculpted lions surround the tower.
9. Nicecream Factory
Take a break from touring with a cool treat from the Nicecream Factory on Clarendon Boulevard. What’s unique about this is you create the ice cream yourself. You pour the cream, sugar and flavors you want into a mixing bowl. Then liquid nitrogen instantly freezes your ice cream.
10. Graves of Robert E. Lee’s Garden
Robert E. Lee’s residence is in the center of the Arlington Cemetery. Twenty-six Civil War soldiers were buried close to the house near the rose garden. This was to prevent Lee from removing the bodies.
11. Dark Star Park
This historical monument created by Nancy Holt features large spheres made of concrete. They represent fallen stars. You can follow a winding trail through the fallen stars, which provides relief from the hustle and bustle of the city streets.
Enjoy These Fun Things to Do in Arlington, VA
Now that you know eleven things to do in Arlington, VA, you can enjoy historical, artistic and fun entertainment in this incredible city.
Contact us if you’re visiting or living in Northern Virginia and need eco-friendly insect protection while enjoying the outdoors.