As a Victoria homeowner, you probably do all you can to protect your home and property, including your pool, but did you know that this recreational feature may attract rats? No matter the season, rats may enter your property, attracted by the scent of water and the possibility of a warm nesting site, but here at Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control, we offer rat removal in Victoria and some useful tips for keeping these enterprising rodents away from your home’s pool.
1. Keep the Pool Area Clean
Pool parties and barbeques always mean all types of delicious food, and dropped leftovers, crumbs, and the scent of sweet or sticky drinks may all attract rats. These rodents are omnivores, which means they eat a wide variety of foods, including food left behind by humans.
You can reduce the risk of attracting rats to your pool deck or the pool itself by cleaning up thoroughly after parties and other gatherings and cleaning under your deck to clear away crumbs and empty soda cans. Rats have an excellent sense of smell, so the more often you clean up around your pool, the better.
2. Protect the Landscaping Around Your Pool
If you have soil landscaping around your pool, a family of rats may decide to move in nearby, such as nesting in or under a supply shed or under the deck. Over time, they will create tunnels and pathways that allow them to safely move from the nest to several different important locations, including:
- Food sources
- Water sources
- Additional entrances and exits to the nest
You can prevent rats from digging around the landscape near your pool with chew-proof fencing and by checking for gaps and holes that may allow rats access to nearby hiding places.
3. Winterize Your Pool Securely
During Cold Victoria winters, rats need warm dens to raise young and survive the cold temperatures of the season. Rats do not hibernate and continue to breed all through the winter months, so winterizing your pool properly can keep them from nesting there. Heated pools and attached hot tubs can attract rats once fall fades, and they may decide to gnaw at your pool tarp, deck supports or any other surface that helps them file down their incisors, which grow continuously throughout their whole lives.
The best way to get rid of mice and rats near your pool during the winter is by using chew-proof material to cover the surface and to ensure no gaps or holes exist near any heated features or the heaters themselves.
4. Make Your Property an Uninviting Space
While your pool may not always attract directly, the condition of the property it sits on might. Accessible garbage cans, leftover pet food and water and tall grass in which to hide can all make the area around your backyard pool quite inviting for these rodents.
Sometimes, how to get rid of rats is not as important as preventing their presence in the first place. Avoid leaving uneaten pet food out, trim your grass, trees and shrubs regularly in the spring and summer, and use metal trash cans with snap-down lids so rats cannot get inside.
We Handle Rat Removal In Victoria
Our experienced rat removal technicians will inspect your property and remove live rats and their nesting material before cleaning and sealing entry points around the nesting area. They can also identify certain conditions that may be attracting rats to your pool area and help you rectify them. Seasonal inspections by our techs can also prevent any rat infestations in the future.
Let Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control help you with rat removal in Victoria today. Call us or fill out our online service request form for further assistance.
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