The simple answer. Yes. Rats can squeeze through small spaces the size of a quarter so it’s not hard to fathom that they can get into ductwork. The reasons why they may be attracted to your air ducts is really the question.
Why Do Rats Go Into Air Ducts?
Typically speaking, rats are always looking for two things. 1.Food 2.Nesting Material/Shelter. Air ducts not only provide a safe place for them to nestle in but the material that air ducts are made of also provides them with what they need to build their nests. Once rats get into your crawl space they have unlimited access to your air ducts. If they feel inclined for any reason they can easily chew their way through the air ducts and begin crawling around in them. This provides them the opportunity to not only hide and nest but a pathway throughout your home to search for a food source. Rats can chew through just about anything and that includes wood, drywall and electrical work. If this happens, there is a serious risk of hazard to your home as fires can start or structural damage can ensue.
What Is The Risk Of Rats Getting Into Air Ducts?
As mentioned above, if rats start to chew their way through your home they can potentially chew through things like electrical wires, refrigerant lines and HVAC components that can cause major damage to your home. The air ducts in a home are one of the most common places to find rats and mice because of the warmth and protection that they offer as well as the ease of travel throughout the home or building. If you suspect that you have a rodent problem within your air ducts then calling a professional is highly recommended. Rodents populate at an extremely high rate and if they are in your air duct system it’s likely that they were attracted to it because they need to nest. Even outside of the population factors, rodents leave behind urine and droppings that can then circulate into the air you breathe inside your home. Rodent droppings are known for carrying bacteria, viruses and disease as well as causing allergic reactions to humans. Breathing in these particles is hazardous to your health and the health of anyone else living within that space.
What Do You Do If Rats Are In Your Air Ducts?
The safest way to deal with a rat problem within your air ducts is to contact a professional right away. Rats and mice carry so much disease not only within their own systems but through the fecal and urine matter that they leave behind. If rats are within your HVAC system, these are already being spread throughout the ductwork of your home and not having the proper equipment to clean everything means you will be putting yourself at risk of coming into contact with this disease carrying matter. Lyme disease, Typhus and Hantavirus are just a few of the dozens of diseases rats can carry. Professional technicians have the proper equipment and tools necessary to deal with rodents so that you can stay healthy and safe.
Rats are considered dangerous to you and your family because of the varying ways they can spread disease. We’ve already discussed some of those ways above through fecal matter and urine but did you know that disease can be spread through some of the parasites that live on rats? Parasites such as ticks can also spread disease. Bites from rats and humans eating contaminated food that rats have come into contact with are also other ways disease can be spread. If you think rats have invaded your home, call a professional right away to get an inspection. Whether rats are in your air ducts or any other part of your home, it’s worth looking into to keep you and your family healthy and safe.
