Environmental action tips: avoid rodent damage in your home

The warm autumn has brought rats close to human settlements. Now is a good time to make sure that your yard does not attract rats.

Rats can do a lot of damage at worst, as they can bite their way through almost any material.

—A rat can target, for example, electrical wires, water and sewer pipes, waste containers and composters or house structures, environmental engineer Carita Kattainen says.

How do you notice the appearance of rats?

Rats leave behind many kinds of marks.

Holes and corridors may appear in the yard, compost or house structures.

—Unlike a burrow dug by a mole, a rat burrow does not have a layer of soil on top. Rat holes are also larger in size, says Kattainen.

Rat excrement is a sure sign of the presence of rats.

How can you prevent rats from nesting?

At least the following things should be taken into account:

• Remove the rats' access to the food source. Do not put apples or other organic waste in the garden waste. Empty the garden compost regularly.
• If possible, feed the birds only with tallow balls and keep the feeding places clean.
• Do not put food or food scraps down the drain. Food in drains attracts rats and rats can enter the house through the toilet seat or floor drain.
• Check piles of wood etc. and move them away from the immediate vicinity of the house.
• Check the waste containers: the bottom plug is the weak point of the waste container.
• Check the bottom of the composter. A rat will easily eat the bottom of the composter if the composter is placed against the ground. It would be good to have the composter on a solid surface, such as on a concrete slab. The composter must be pest-proof, i.e. there must be a rodent net at the bottom. Not all models found in the store hold back rats.
• Check and cover with rodent netting all holes and gaps through which a rat could enter the building.
• Remove all edible feed and seeds from the outdoor storage.
• If the neighbors are nearby, cooperate with the neighbors to eradicate and prevent the rat problem.

What should you do if you see rats on your property?

Individuals cannot buy rat poison themselves. That's why you have to turn to a pest control company to get rid of rats. Contact should be made immediately after the first sighting of a rat. There are also non-toxic means of control.

It is hoped that the findings will also be reported to the environmental department of the Imatra region.

—This way we would have up-to-date information about the situation and be able to give instructions and advice, says Kattainen.

For more information:

Environmental engineer Carita Kattainen, carita.comprehensiveimatra.fi (carita[dot]kattainen[at]imatra[dot]fi), tel. 020 617 1179

Report rat sightings:

environmental actionimatra.fi (umparistotoimi[at]imatra[dot]fi)