Rats have an uncanny ability to infiltrate homes and businesses, often using methods that seem almost impossible. One of their most surprising and disturbing talents is the ability to collapse their ribcages to squeeze through extremely tight spaces, such as drainage pipes. Yep, thats right, the pipes that lead straight into our homes and businesses.
This blog explores this unique ability of rats and discusses why a preventative approach like using RatGate devices, is more effective and safer than traditional methods like poisons and traps.
Rats: Masters of Infiltration
Rats are equipped with highly flexible bodies. Did you know, a rat's ribs are hinged at the spine, enabling them to flatten their bodies to fit through narrow openings and pipes. This ability is complemented by their strong, agile skeletons and the lack of a large, rigid collarbone. As a result, if a rat's head can pass through a space, its body can follow, often allowing them to navigate through drain pipes and gaps as small as half an inch in diameter.
This flexibility allows them to access the interiors of buildings via the sewer system, which poses a significant challenge for homeowners and business operators. Once inside, rats can be incredibly destructive and pose health risks by spreading diseases such as leptospirosis, salmonella, and hantavirus.
The Inefficacy of Traditional Rat Control Methods
Traps and poisons have been used for centuries to control rat populations, but they come with significant drawbacks:
Inhumane: Traps can cause significant suffering and a slow, painful death for the animals.
Danger to Other Wildlife and Pets: Poisons and mechanical traps can inadvertently harm non-target species, including pets and beneficial wildlife.
Health Risks: The improper handling and disposal of poisons can pose serious health risks to humans, especially children.
Reactive, Not Preventive: Both traps and poisons are reactive measures. They only come into play after an infestation has begun, which can mean that the damage is already underway.
Why RatGate Devices Are the Superior Solution
RatGate devices offer a humane, effective, and environmentally friendly alternative to traditional rodent control methods. These devices are installed directly into the drainage system and act as a physical barrier that prevents rats from entering a property through these routes, whilst still allowing water and waste to flow freely. Here are the key benefits of using RatGate devices:
1. Preventive Approach:
RatGates stop rats at their most common point of entry—the drainage system. By blocking this access route, these devices prevent infestations before they start, rather than dealing with the consequences after rats have already entered.
2. Safety and Non-Toxic:
Since RatGates do not rely on poisons or lethal traps, they pose no chemical risk to the environment or physical danger to other animals and humans. This makes them an ideal choice for homes, food service facilities, and places where children and pets are present.
3. Long-Lasting and Low Maintenance:
Once installed, RatGate devices require minimal maintenance and provide lasting protection, making them an efficient solution for both residential and commercial properties.
Conclusion
Understanding the remarkable ability of rats to enter buildings through drains highlights the necessity of preventive measures in pest control. The RatGate offers an innovative solution to this problem, aligning with modern needs for humane and environmentally friendly approaches to pest management. By choosing RatGates, you can secure premises from the ground up, ensuring that rats are stopped well before they have a chance to cause harm.
