We all know how much of a nuisance rats are. No matter where we see them, be it media, fiction, or real life, rats are almost unanimously presented as a nuisance or potentially even a danger for humans.
But what types of dangers do these little critters do exactly? How can such tiny little animals cause a disturbance to big humans like us? Well, surprisingly, there’s a whole lot of things that rats can do to us that range from a slight annoyance that makes our day a little worse, to an alarmingly deadly action that requires immediate medical attention as soon as possible. Let’s see what those things are.
Rats damage property
For being such small creatures, rats have one heck of a bite. That’s right, rats have been known to gnaw on things like plastic and wood and have a reputation for breaking into homes this way. Walls that don’t have strong material are especially vulnerable to rat bites, of which you’ll notice through the teeth marks left on whatever the rats chewed on.
Even worse, these rats will usually be able to hide inside the walls that they chewed through. The average owner won’t even realize that they have a rat problem until more rats appear out of the place they’ve hidden, and by then it might be too late.
Their small size helps them as well. Not only is it much easier to enter a house undetected, but it also helps them slip into spaces that are otherwise difficult by any other creature that isn’t an insect to go through. Even tiny hole in a wall can become a liability if you aren’t careful.
Rats will eat food left out by people
While rats have been known to kill and consume insects, fish, and other small animals, rats usually use humans as their primary food source. No, not that way! Rats definitely will bite humans, but not because they think of you as their next meal.
Rather, they use humans because they are opportunistic by nature. By that, we mean that rats will skitter out of their hiding holes once the coast is clear and scour the house for any leftover food that isn’t safely tucked away in a fridge or cabinet. And even then, the cabinet isn’t completely safe.
As mentioned above, if the material the cabinet is made of isn’t sturdy, a rat can easily chew its way through to get the goods inside. Even if your food is packaged in wrapping or placed inside a wrapper like some potato chips are, rats will simply chew through them like nothing, contaminating the entire bag in the process.
If you have a rat in the house, even leaving your food for a minute or two can make it extremely vulnerable to being contaminated by the rat, even if it simply walks over it.
Rats themselves are filthy and can transmit disease
If you were wondering why we kept mentioning rats contaminating things earlier. Well, here’s why. Rats are considerably filthy and are known carriers for deadly diseases and parasites. Such examples include the infamous bubonic plague, Hantavirus, or leptospirosis, none of which are diseases that you would ever want to acquire.
They are also known for biting people when cornered and wanting to escape. Not only is their bite considerably painful to its target (Remember, this is also the same rat that can chew through wood,) it is yet another way for these creatures to transmit deadly diseases to you, as the saliva of rats are known for containing such things. Because of this, it is best to immediately seek medical attention when bitten, even if no adverse reactions occur immediately.
Even their excrements are dangerous to the touch, rat droppings and urine are likely to have high concentrations of these things and as such should be avoided as much as possible. This, however, can be difficult if one doesn’t even know the existence of a rat under their own roof.
What can I do about this?
Sometimes, the smallest of creatures can cause us the biggest of troubles, and rats fit the bill perfectly. Not only are they difficult to catch because of their size and agility to weave through furniture inside your house, they cause no end of troubles by being a nuisance and a health hazard to you and your family.
Luckily for you, one of the best ways you can avoid them is by making sure that your house is clean and hygienic. Rats are attracted to places that have poor sanitation, and as such, making sure that your place isn’t messy and stinky is essential in reducing the chances that a rat chooses to make your house its newest home.
Not only that, keeping your food sealed in airtight containers will also help, as rats have a really good sense of smell. As mentioned earlier, rats are attracted to food, since it helps them survive for longer. No food available to smell means that any rat in the area wouldn’t consider your house a prime target to raid.