{"id":14074,"date":"2015-12-17T16:02:32","date_gmt":"2015-12-17T15:02:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/\/?p=14074"},"modified":"2026-05-21T14:42:53","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T13:42:53","slug":"beware-the-invasion-of-the-flood-rats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/beware-the-invasion-of-the-flood-rats\/","title":{"rendered":"Beware the Invasion of the Flood Rats"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Beware the invasion of the flood rats<\/strong><strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ireland has recently suffered a severe and unprecedented flood surge. Many families and businesses in affected areas are&nbsp;advised to avoid direct contact with floodwater and beware the invasion of the&nbsp;flood <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/rats\/how-to-get-rid-of-rats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">rats<\/a>&nbsp;into homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Resettlement is not an easy job as many things need to be done before cleaning up the house. We have recently received many call-outs as the result of this situation. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/rats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Rodents<\/a> that survive a disaster often move to new areas. Hence, we strongly advise you to identify <a title=\"signs of rodents\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/rats\/signs-of-rats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">signs of rodents<\/a> and check whether they&nbsp;have taken shelter in your property before commencing any clean-up activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The following recommendations will help residents reduce the risk of disease or personal injury associated with <a title=\"rats\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/rats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">rodents<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Precautions to Limit Household Exposure<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Removing food sources, water, and items that provide shelter for rodents is the best way to prevent contact with rodents. When necessary, you should call <a title=\"Rentokil Pest Control\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/contact-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">professional pest control services<\/a> to help you <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/rats\/how-to-get-rid-of-rats\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">get rid of dead rodents<\/a> or rodent-contaminated areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Inside the Home<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Keep foodstuffs in metal or glass containers with tight fitting lids.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Put outdoor rubbish bags in metal bins with securely fitted lids to stop them feeding from contents..<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Give pets only enough food for each meal, then throw out any remaining food. Do not leave\u00a0remaining\u00a0pet food or water out overnight.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dispose of garbage on a frequent and regular basis.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Don\u2019t leave\u00a0dishes, pans, and cooking utensils. Instead, wash them immediately after use.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Clean up and\u00a0remove spilled food from cooking and eating areas.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Do not store empty cans or other opened containers with food residues inside the home.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Outside the Home<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Garbage\u00a0should be put\u00a0in rodent-proof containers with tight-fitting lids.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Drains and animal feed should be stored\u00a0in rodent-proof containers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Remove any food sources that might attract rodents.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Haul away trash, abandoned vehicles, discarded tires, and other items that might serve as rodent nesting sites.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep gardens free from debris. If you have a compost heap don\u2019t include organic food waste, as this will attract them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Trim tree limbs or shrubs that overhang or touch buildings.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Place spring-loaded traps in outbuildings and in other areas where signs of rodents are found. Do not allow children or pets to play near spring traps.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Rodent-Proofing Your Home<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Mice may enter through a hole the size of a dime. Rats may enter the home through a hole the size of a quarter.&nbsp;You should check it there are any gaps and holes inside and outside the home that are greater than a \u00bc-inch diameter. If so, we strongly advise that you should do&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/rats\/prevention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">proofing your home<\/a>&nbsp;to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/rats\/prevention\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">prevent rodents<\/a> from entering your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If&nbsp;you see any&nbsp;<a href=\"http:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/rats\/signs-of-rats\/\">signs of rats<\/a>, don&#8217;t hesitate to <a title=\"Rentokil Pest Control\" href=\"http:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/contact-us\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">contact us<\/a>&nbsp;for any help.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/dealing-with-storms-how-bad-weather-makes-rodents-a-problem\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"786\" height=\"437\" src=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Flood-pests.png\" alt=\"Flood pests\" class=\"wp-image-15100\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Flood-pests.png 786w, https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Flood-pests-300x167.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 786px) 100vw, 786px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Beware the invasion of the flood rats&nbsp; Ireland has recently suffered a severe and unprecedented flood surge. Many families and businesses in affected areas are&nbsp;advised to avoid direct contact with floodwater and beware the invasion of the&nbsp;flood rats&nbsp;into homes. Resettlement is not an easy job as many things need to be done before cleaning up [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[2412,2407],"tags":[509,546],"class_list":["post-14074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-rats","category-rodents","tag-rats","tag-rodents"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Flood Rats: Avoid Invasion &amp; Dangers | Pest Control Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In flood-affected areas: avoid direct contact with floodwater and beware the invasion of flood rats into your home. Get Rentokil&#039;s advice.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/beware-the-invasion-of-the-flood-rats\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Beware the Invasion of the Flood Rats\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Many families and businesses in affected areas are advised to avoid direct contact with floodwater and beware the invasion of the flood rats into your home.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/beware-the-invasion-of-the-flood-rats\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"deBugged\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2015-12-17T15:02:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-05-21T13:42:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:title\" content=\"Beware the Invasion of the Flood Rats\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Many families and businesses in affected areas are advised to avoid direct contact with floodwater and beware the invasion of the flood rats into your home.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/Flood-rats1.png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@debugged\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@debugged\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/beware-the-invasion-of-the-flood-rats\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/beware-the-invasion-of-the-flood-rats\/\",\"name\":\"Flood Rats: Avoid Invasion & Dangers | Pest Control Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/beware-the-invasion-of-the-flood-rats\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/beware-the-invasion-of-the-flood-rats\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/main_rat-in-tree.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2015-12-17T15:02:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-05-21T13:42:53+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.rentokil.ie\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/7db989bebd3291c60b3cb37cdedb87e3\"},\"description\":\"In flood-affected areas: avoid direct contact with floodwater and beware the invasion of flood rats into your home. 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