Rat Poop: Rat Dropping Diseases & Clean-Up Tips

rat-disease

Rats are intelligent creatures, which is one of the reasons why you may have one as a pet. The rest of you who do not have these creatures as a pet, may find them to be pests, the reason why is because non-domestic rats will sneak into your home and dine away on your food or crumbs on the floor and leave behind droppings.

Their droppings are potentially harmful to human health since they tend to carry a wide variety of diseases. Finding methods to keep rats away and at bay is the best way to keep the critters droppings away, but first you have to understand what the creatures are exactly.

What are rats exactly?

Rats are small rodents that can way up to a pound in size and are usually black, brown or white in color. The creatures are commonly thought of as large mice because they have similar features, but mice are much smaller. You can find these tiny mammals living in most areas of the world living a lifespan of up to three years.

The little critters with tiny round ears, round black eyes, pink noses with whiskers, small hands for grabbing food and long tails love living particularly in rural areas where food and water sources are plentiful. If you have rats running around your area it’s because there is an abundant amount of food and water for them to live off of, which means you are probably also experiencing a lot of rat poop too.

Why is rat poop so dangerous to humans?

As mentioned in the beginning, rat poop harbors diseases. Some of those diseases are potentially deadly.

Those diseases are:

  • South American Arena viruses such as Argentine, Bolivian, Sabia, and Venezuelan hemorrhagic fever
  • Tularemia
  • Salmonella poisoning
  • Rat-Bite Fever
  • Omsk Hemorrhagic Fever
  • Meningitis
  • Leptospirosis
  • Lassa Fever
  • Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome
  • Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
  • Plague

How do you contract one of these diseases from rat poop?

You contract one of these diseases from rat poop by simply being exposed too it or ingesting it through breathing in rat dropping dust or though food that has be exposed to it and consumed by you. If you become ill and think it has because you have been exposed to rat droppings due to a high number, living in your space it is wise to see a doctor for medical treatment right away. Again, some of the diseases rats carry are potentially dangerous if left untreated since most of the diseases cause respiratory issues, digestive problems and even neurological disorders.

What are some of the methods to help prevent and rid rats away?

Some of the most common methods people find useful for preventing rats are by spraying around their home with rodent deterrent sprays. Some even find the electronic sonic rodent device you plant into the ground or plug in your outlets inside your home to be effective as well.

Other methods that are helpful to try are:

  • Go get some house cats or farm cats as friends to help hunt and repel the rodents away.
  • Spraying feline urine around home or outdoor picnic areas.
  • Using rat traps to capture or kill the rodents.
  • Making sure no food or water sources are easily available such as filled trash bags and birdbaths.
  • Filling on cracks and craves in the home to keep rats from crawling insidespray vinegar in rat entrance ways.
  • Remove rat nest from homes (always wear safety gear when doing this task, or hire professionals to do this job properly).
  • Plant mint, lavender, garlic, onion or cayenne pepper plants in gardens and around home since rats hate the aroma these plants give off.
  • Spray inside of home with lavender, tea tree or mint essential oil sprays daily

What are some end thoughts to keep in mind when it comes to rat droppings?

The reason for keeping rats away is not just their droppings, but because they can build their homes inside your home creating nests. Rats living inside the walls of any home create hidden potential dangers. Rats tend to chew on electrical wires, which can lead to an electrical fire than can destroy a home in minutes. Finding methods that work to help prevent and repel rats away is essential for keeping you home and family safe.

If you find that, you have a large rodent infestation in your home it is time to call in some professionals to help you exterminate the creatures from your home as safely and as quickly as possible before you end up with even more issues. The only time you should be okay with a rat hanging out inside your home is even it is domestic and your furry little friend that loves sitting on your shoulder or running in their spinning rodent wheel for exercise.​

Published
Categorized as Droppings

By David Jackson

I enjoy learning about new pest control strategies and sharing what I learn at NeverPest.com. I aim to create a reliable resource for people dealing with all sorts of pest issues.

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