Do you smell a rat? There’s a good possibility it smelled you first, and is now doing everything in its power to hide from you. We all know that rats can be very intelligent, but what about their sense of smell? Just how strong is it? Let’s find out.

Rats have an excellent sense of smell

Rats are almost blind when they are born, and they take about a week to develop their vision fully, relying heavily upon their sense of smell during this period. However, this reliance on the sense of smell stays with rats their entire lives, and they can use it to detect food sources inside the home, even when they are outdoors.

On top of that, scientists believe that rats are able to sense changes in weather conditions using their sense of smell. This allows them to detect when the temperatures are about to drop and it sends a signal to their brains that they need to look for a warm shelter, usually found inside of a home.

How the sense of smell is integral to the rats’ survival

Rats spend most of their time foraging for food, and they will often need to find food sources in difficult-to-reach locations. As mentioned previously, their sense of smell can help them detect homes that have accessible food sources inside, but it can also be used to find seeds and insects that are underground, or food scraps in garbage heaps.

Rats will be able to smell when predators are nearby or when they have set up in an area. This allows them to hide, and flee before they are spotted. They are able to detect the scents of large birds, cats, snakes, and even humans. Luckily, you can use this against them. By having a cat in the home for example, you immediately create an invisible barrier that will keep most rats out.

And since they are able to sense human scents, you have to be careful when handling and baiting traps. Rats are notorious for being wary of traps, and if the traps have your smell on them, the rats will be much less likely to approach them. This is why wearing gloves is essential when implementing your rat control methods.

If you have a stubborn rat infestation however, you will likely need the help of a pro to completely get rid of it. Contact us today if you need any help with a rat infestation.