COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Staying at home more can make you aware of things you didn’t used to notice before. During this pandemic, people have been seeing an increase in rat infestations.
Now unless you are a rat enthusiast, most people are not too keen on these furry creatures invading their homes. But as it turns out, rats have actually always been around.
“It’s just that they’re changing where they’re getting their food, and a lot of us are seeing them more frequently because we are home....we’re not at a football game or basketball game, or out running errands...we see them and therefore we’re now aware of them," said Texas A&M Agrilife Extension program specialist Janet Hurley.
With changes of food source as well, rats are looking for new places to survive.
“If they don’t have food at the local restaurants, they’re going to move. Dumpsters have always been a food source and so have bushes and so have gardens," said Hurley.
These rodents are especially active during the late fall and early winter as they look for a place to stay during the cold winter season. It does not take much for them to enter your residence.
“If I can stick my finger in a hole on the exterior of your property, this is what a mouse can get in. If I can stick two fingers in a hole, that’s what a rat can get in...," said Hurley.
She said in order to limit the rat presence around your home, it’s important to change your behaviors.
"Where you’re storing your dog food so they don’t come in the garage... or if you’re going to store dog food in the garage do you have a trash can to put a lid on it so they can’t get to it. So part of it is changing our behavior," said Hurley.
She added that another option would be to work with a pest management company to trap the rodents.