Find out how rats and wasps can get into your home
We love providing Metro Atlanta homeowners with superior pest control service and top-notch information on how to combat common insects and critters in Georgia. But we also know that sometimes you just have a random question you'd love a quick answer for.
If you've got a critter question, reach out to us on Facebook and Instagram with your question and use the hashtag #AskBREDA. Then check back to the blog each month to see if we tackle your question!
This month, we received these questions:
Question: Can rats get into my home through the sewer system?
Absolutely. We actually see this happen to several customers each year. Homeowners think rats won't venture up waste lines or plumbing lines, but keep in mind two things: rats can swim, and these pipes are never completely full of water. Plumbing pipes are always sloped to make sure water drains to the sewer or septic tank. When rats like Norway rats (also called sewer rats by our Northeastern friends) do come up the plumbing pipes and chew their way out, they always do this in the vent stacks, which don't ever have any water pass through. The vent stacks are completely dry all the time and only designed to vent the sewer gasses out of the home.
As pest professionals, BREDA technicians can do a smell check of the roof vent stack to determine if rats are using the bathroom exhaust vents to gain access into the home. Smoke tests are another detection option but can cost several hundred dollars. A huge benefit to smoke tests is they will tell you the exact location of the break (if you have one), which means a plumber won't have to open large sections of walls looking for a pipe break.
If you think you have a rat problem in your home, don't hesitate to schedule a visit with us so we can get to work with rodent control. We also created an informative guide to keeping rats and mice out of your home. Click here to read it!
Question: Why do wasps randomly appear inside my house?
Do you actively seek warmth when the temperatures drop? Bugs do, too! Wasps will overwinter in places that are dry and warm, which usually ends up being Georgia homeowners' attics. When a wasp overwinters, they literally shut their bodies down, like hitting the pause button on live TV. However, if warmth is detected by the wasp while it's overwintering, it thinks that spring has sprung and it's time to wake back up. And where do they encounter warmth in the middle of winter? You guessed it: your home.
Wasps are not smart enough to remember how they got into your home, so when they snap out of overwintering and are getting their bearings again, they fly toward light. If you see a wasp inside your home this time of year, it is going to be very lethargic. You would be, too, if you had slept for a few months! The best thing you can do is open a door or window (remove the screen first) and let the wasp fly away. Again, these wasps have little energy to fight and are non-aggressive this time of year. They just want to find some food to build their energy back up. Since wasps are a great beneficial insect, let's do what we can to keep them around.
If you find yourself needing pest control and want it handled thoroughly, don't hesitate to give us a call. The BREDA Guarantee promises to fix your pest problem and keep it fixed—no matter the circumstances. Schedule a consultation online or give us a call at 770-466-6700.
