It is one of the worst things that any of us can imagine, our home being invaded by rats. We dread the word rat around our house, but rat infestations can happen. And, the best way to stop a full blown infestation is to recognize the signs that you have a rat problem. However, this may be more easier said than done.

Most rats prefer to hide from people and sneak around when we least expect them, so it could be quite some time before we actually lay eyes on a rat in our home. This means we may have to rely on other signs to identify a rat problem.

• Seeing an actual rat in your home. As stated before, rats prefer to stay away from human contact and will usually hide during high traffic times. If you do happen to see a rat in your home, you can be sure that you are probably seeing it because there is no room left for it to hide, which means that you already have a full blown infestation.
• Finding a dead rat in your home. I know nothing could be grosser than finding a dead rat in your home, but it could happen. And, you can most likely assume that there may be more of them still living in your home. At this point, you can keep your eye out for more signs of a rat problem, or your best bet would be to go ahead and call in the professionals to search your home for the possible infestation. This way you can have someone who knows what to look for and get rid of them at the same time.
• Seeing rat droppings throughout your home. Rat droppings are typically shiny black in color, blunt at both ends, and a half of an inch to a quarter of an inch long. Finding rat droppings in your home is a sure sign that you have a healthy and freely feeding rat population taking up residence in your home.
• Finding their tracks in dusty areas of your home. You may see these tracks in corners, along baseboards, and near food sources. Rats also tend to leave dirt or grease marks along walls and floorboards from the oils and dirt found in their fur. If you happen to notice any of these tracks or markings, it is time to call in the professionals.
• Finding gnawed wood or other materials. Rats tend to gnaw incessantly on hard materials like plastic and wood. Rat teeth marks are large, typically an eighth of an inch long and rough in appearance. The presence of these types of marks or large holes in your floorboards and walls can be a sure sign of a rat infestation.
• Noticing a weird smell. Rats and mice are known smell bad. If you happen to notice a strong and musky odor emanating from your house, it is time to contact your local wildlife professionals to ensure that you do not have a rat infestation or another type of wild animal taking up residence in your home.

If you fear that your home is being overrun by rats, your best option is to call in your local pest control professionals and have them deal with the problem. While many stores may offer poison and traps, these methods are not as effective as you think.

Most rodents are wary of unknown objects in their usual paths, so they will be less likely to enter the trap or eat the poison, which could leave a dead rat decaying in your walls. This is not a pretty sight, but if you call in the professionals, they know the proven methods to get rid of these rats and how to sanitize your home once the job is done.