Do Pet Rats Attract Roaches, Flies, and Other Pests?

Do Pet Rats Attract Roaches Flies and Other Pests
Do Pet Rats Attract Roaches Flies and Other Pests

Do Pet Rats Attract Roaches Flies and Oth

So, you just got a new pet rat and they are wonderful. But, because of their bad reputation, you can’t help but wonder: What if your pet rat invites some friends over? 

Do pet rats attract other pests like roaches, flies, etc.? No, rats do not attract any other pests to your home, not even other rats. They are predators to insects and most animals smaller than them. To ensure that no pest gets into your home, keep your rat’s cage clean and safely store their food. 

More and more people are turning to rats as their ideal pets, but there are still myths surrounding them. So, in order to bust them and understand your new furry friend better, read on and learn more about the rat’s relationship with insects and other pests. 

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Rats and Cockroaches 

Rats don’t attract flies or roaches — or any other pests for that matter. They are very clean, they love to groom themselves, and they’ll also do their best to keep their habitat clean. They also don’t carry diseases, and they are not dangerous to humans or other pets. 

Rodents like rats are often reported to eat roaches and flies for the protein in them. They can take them out of traps without getting into the trap themselves. Still, you shouldn’t use your pet rat as a roach or fly hunter since these insects can carry pesticides and diseases that could be fatal to your pet rat. This article should provide more information: Do Pet Rats Eat Cockroaches?

It’s best if you give them plenty of protein and other nutrients through their regular meals. You should also do your best to keep these pests away from your pet rat to avoid having any issues with them. 

What Attracts Roaches and Flies To Your Home? 

Even though you may not have a roach or fly problem because of your pet rat, there are other reasons these pests could be attracted to your home. 

For one, every home is a perfect spot for a roach to live in. We have plenty of food, warmth, and there’s always some moisture around. It’s a picture-perfect shelter for them. What makes it even more likely that roaches will infest your home is if it’s dirty. 

Having a dirty home provides a perfect ground for roaches. They’ll love the food that you left on the counter, spilled on the floor, or even scraps in the sink. They’ll also enjoy any moisture coming from leaky pipes or wet rugs. 

Roaches will haunt your home all year. They are not seasonal, but they prefer summer since it’s warm. 

At the same time, a clean house won’t guarantee that roaches will stay away. They will find entrance through any pipes you may have, cracks, or anything else. They might even use some common items like bags or shoes to get into your home. Roaches move at night, so you won’t notice them easily. Of course, at some point, there’ll be so many of them that they’ll be easily noticeable. 

You’ll spot that you have this problem by finding their droppings, which will look like ground pepper, finding egg casings, or by smelling something strange in your bathroom or kitchen. 

To keep roaches away, keep your home as clean and tidy as possible without leaving food outside. Everything should be in containers. Clean under your appliances and take the trash out regularly. 

Fill any gaps around your home. If you have a bigger roach problem, call exterminators. 

Flies are similar to roaches, but you should still handle them separately. They’ll be the most active during summer, although you’ll notice them in late spring and early fall too. The most common reason they enter your home will be the food. They love trash, fruit, and vegetables, as well as any form of moisture. 

There are different species of flies too. For example, there are house flies that are attracted to anything organic decaying and rotting. Fruit flies will love anything sugary, and they’ll feed on soda, alcohol and ripe fruit. Drain flies will gather around moist areas. 

Here are some things that you should remove to get rid of flies: 

  • Open garbage cans
  • Animal carcasses
  • Manure (or your rat’s feces if you leave them unchecked for too long)
  • Fruit and vegetables rotting 
  • Open bottles of alcohol and spilled juices 
  • The insides of your drains, especially if it’s full of scum

So your rat will not attract pests like flies and roaches to your home. What’s more likely to attract them is not cleaning up after your rat. Their cage should be cleaned regularly, and their food removed once they are done eating. 

To prevent this even further, you should keep your home clean and free of clutter, clean up as soon as you spill something and keep your fruits and vegetables in the fridge. Throw away anything that’s rotting and seal your garbage cans tightly. Clean your drains regularly and remove any feces from your rat as soon as you notice it. 

How To Care For Your Rat To Prevent Pests From Coming

For one, rats will need a large cage with horizontal wires they can climb on. You can add some ramps and different levels that will make it easier for more rats to live together. The cage should cover around 2 square feet of your floor if you want to have two rats, and it should be tall—the bigger the cage, the better, essentially. An aquarium could suit them well too, but you’ll need to clean it a lot more often, and it’s bad when it comes to ventilation.

The flooring of the cage shouldn’t be wire since it can cause some problems for the rat’s feet. Cover the floor with wood or a different sturdy, flat material. It’s best if it’s easy to clean. 

Put the cage in a quiet, peaceful area of your home and make sure that your rat will still be able to see you and participate in activities of the day. Rats are at their most active during the night, so you should allow them to sleep during the day. If you put their cage on a stand, a bit higher off the ground, they will be much more comfortable, and they’ll be protected from the roaches and mice. 

Sun shouldn’t shine at them directly, but their spot should be dry to avoid attracting flies and roaches. 

Give them enough material to build their nests — paper towels or tissues will do. If you like wood shavings better, you should use the aspen ones instead of cedar ones, since the latter bothers rats. Pelleted materials are by far the best since they can absorb a lot. But, you can still provide some tissues for them to build a nest. 

Rats tend to choose a bathroom space away from their bed. You’ll need to clean that daily. An entire cage should be cleaned once every week. 

Give them enough food during their mealtimes, but keep the food away if they are not eating. Any excess food will attract pests. Rats are also prone to food hoarding, so you should check for this in the cage. This food can spoil quickly, and rats can get sick if they eat it, or it will attract pests. 

If you notice odors that bother you, clean their cage once a week with a solution of bleach and water and bathe your rat at the same time. Neutering rats can also decrease the frequency of their spraying, which would also decrease the strength of the smells. 

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