Are you wondering “Are rat droppings dangerous?” If so, this may be because you have noticed them in your home or business premises. Don’t ignore the presence of rat droppings, even if there are only a few of them. Rat droppings are a good sign that you have an infestation that needs treating as quickly as possible. Read on to learn more about the dangers of rat droppings.
Rat droppings aren’t just unpleasant – they can be very dangerous to health, causing serious illness in humans and other animals such as dogs. If you’ve noticed rat droppings anywhere in your home or commercial property, it’s important to seek the services of a professional pest controller in your area. At Topline, we provide rat control in Doncaster, dealing with infestations of these rodents in an extremely effective manner. When asking “Are rat droppings dangerous?”, consider the following points.
Rats carry diseases in their waste which can be very harmful to human and animal health. These include Salmonellosis and Leptospirosis, which are types of food poisoning. When a rat walks through their own droppings and then walks through human food, bacteria is transferred from the droppings to the food. If someone eats the contaminated food, this can make someone very sick. Symptoms of Salmonellosis include diarrhoea, fever, and stomach cramps and usually begin six hours to six days after infection. Leptospirosis has similar symptoms, with high fever, headache and muscle aches also possible.
Rat droppings can be very dangerous for humans, particularly for pregnant women. If you’re pregnant and have come into contact with rat droppings, it’s essential to visit a doctor as soon as possible. However, they can be just as harmful to dogs as well. Dogs can easily become infected with potentially lethal diseases from rat faeces.
If you’ve seen what you think are rat droppings but aren’t sure, you might be wondering what exactly they look like. They tend to be around 1-2cm long and look similar to dark brown jelly beans. They’re different from mice droppings, which are usually much smaller and have the appearance of small, brown grains of rice. It’s usually fairly easy to identify rat droppings in your property. You will usually be able to smell them, although rat urine has a much more pungent smell. If you can smell rat urine in your home, you almost certainly have rat droppings too.
Keep in mind that fresh rat poop is dark and shiny whilst old droppings are grey and dusty. If you’ve found the latter, there’s a good chance that these are remnants from a past infestation. To be sure, enlist Topline to investigate.
When you hire Topline to deal with a rat infestation on your property, we’ll clear all waste and carry out specialist cleaning and disinfecting of contaminated areas. This ensures that your home is left clean and tidy once we are finished. However, if you want to clean up rat droppings yourself, it’s important to do so safely using the correct methods. We strongly advise against sweeping or vacuuming rat droppings, as well as urine and nesting material. This is because when these substances are swept or hoovered, they can break apart, forcing the virus particles into the air. They can then be easily inhaled, potentially infecting the person who’s cleaning them up.
Make sure you wear plastic or rubber gloves when cleaning up rat droppings. Use a general purpose household disinfectant or make up a solution consisting of one-part bleach and nine-parts water. Spray it onto the faeces or urine until they’re soaking wet and then let them soak for around five minutes. You can then use a paper towel to wipe up the materials.
Rat droppings are a clear sign that rats have infested a building. You’re most likely to see them around food packages, in cupboards or drawers, or under the sink. However, there are some other good clues that you have unwanted visitors in your home or business. You might hear scratching sounds coming from the loft or from under the floors or see gnawing marks on food packaging or holes chewed through walls or wires. You may also spot nesting material such as shredded fabric, paper or dried plant matter. Any of these signs require investigation by a rat control specialist.
At Topline Pest Control, we specialise in rat control in Doncaster. We use a variety of effective method to get rid of rats on your property, eliminating them once and for all. We can carry out a full survey to find out if you have a rat infestation and establish the extent of it.
We’ll identify where the rats are accessing your property and then treat the problem by either trapping the rats or using poisoned bait stations. Don’t delay hiring a pest control service if you suspect that rats are present in your home or business premises. Since these rodents reproduce very rapidly, with females producing six litters per year on average, it’s important to address the infestation as soon as possible.
Now you know the answer to the question “Are rat droppings dangerous?”, you may be looking to hire our services. For pest control in Doncaster, call us on 07484688717 or 01302 969049. Alternatively, contact us via the form on the website for a free, no-obligation quotation. As experts in the removal of rats from a wide range of homes and commercial properties, you can expect to receive a first class service when you hire Topline.