Truth About Rats In Santa Clara County

Bay Area's Gopher & Pest Control Specialists

The Pests Stop Here!

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The appearance of a rat is enough to make some people scream and climb onto furniture. For others, rats are cute little furry animals, and not something to be feared. Then there is everyone in between. We don’t know where you fall on this scale, but hopefully, it is somewhere near the middle. There is no reason to be fearful of rats. Most of the time, rats won’t be aggressive toward you. If you leave them alone, they won’t attack you. But you should also avoid being accepting of rats inside your home. A wild rat is not the same as a pet rat. Let’s take a look at a few reasons why.

Harmful Bacteria

You are probably aware that rats get into garbage. It is a common sight to find a rat in a dumpster or trash heap. But are you aware that some rats live underneath garbage? Yup. One of the kinds of rats we deal with in the Santa Clara County area is the Norway rat (or brown rat). It has a tendency to dig burrows underneath piles of garbage and other clutter. This exposes them to harmful bacteria as they go in and out of their burrows. Norway rats are also called sewer rats because they are commonly found living in sewer systems. These rats love water. If a Norway rat gets into your home, it can be a serious threat for bacterial contamination, like the spread of Salmonella.

We have another type of rat we deal with quite a bit in the Santa Clara County area; it is called a roof rat (or black rat). While these rats are not called sewer rats, they can take the place of Norway rats in sewers if there are no Norway rats present. They do quite well in water. A roof rat can tread water for as long as three days! If a roof rat comes out of a sewer system and enters your home, it can be more of a threat than a Norway rat because roof rats have a preference for living in man-made structures.

Ticks & Other Ectoparasites

All rats are exposed to ticks, fleas, and other parasites as they travel through wooded areas and tall grass. Like other furry animals, they can bring these parasites into your yard. But rats aren’t usually content to stay in your yard. Like all rodents, they can chew their way into your home. While squirrels (a common home-invading rodent) will stay in your attic spaces, rats will explore your entire home. As they do, ticks will drop off of them. These ticks will immediately go about finding other hosts. If they find a dog, cat or some other furry pet, they’ll crawl into their fur and attach to their skin. This can make your pets sick. Ticks can also attach directly to you or others living in your home. While they don’t take humans as hosts, they will take a blood meal from a human when they have to. This can expose you to tick-borne diseases.

Untrusting Of People

A wild rat has not had exposure to people. This can make it unpredictable when approached. Like all wild animals, it can get aggressive if it feels threatened, or when it is protecting its young.

Not Potty Trained

A pet rat is usually contained in a cage. This is where it does its business. When wild rats get into your home, they do their business where they feel like it. This can cause damage to stored belongings in your attic. It can cause contamination in your pantry and kitchen. And it can be a source of contamination to packaged food.

Rat Control In Santa Clara County 

It is important to know everything you can about rats. Rats have the potential to be a threat to your health and property. If you see rats in your Santa Clara County area home, contact Smith’s Pest Management. We specialize in the control of wildlife pests. We can help you properly get rid of rats. Reach out to us today for immediate assistance with rodent control issues. We can help.

Kourtney B. - Los Gatos, CA

My chicken coop was put up five years ago. I went out one night and almost had a heart attack because there was probably 100 rats in with the chickens. I called Smith’s and the problem was solved quickly. No more rats!