A January 5, 2013 article posted on CBC News’ website reported on the flurry of concern raised over the discovery of a rat carcass in a southeast neighborhood in Calgary, Alberta. The presence of the dead rodent in New Brighton, Calgary launched the entire city on a frenzied rat hunt, with citizens intent on being certain that there were no other such vermin in their otherwise, pristine neighborhood. Residents who spotted any rodents were encouraged to contact city officials for immediate and thorough pest removal.

Not all Canadian provinces can claim to be as thorough as Alberta when it comes to eradicating wild rodents. The vermin are crafty and persistent creatures, and will not stop at nothing to find food and shelter; hence, their relentless attacks and scavenging in human habitation. Homeowners intent on completely getting rid of rodents will need the services of a wildlife control specialist like Skedaddle Wildlife Control.

Alberta is proud to have been declared largely rat-free since the 1950s, notwithstanding the occasional rat sighting. In any case, the presence of the single rat triggered fears of a potential reinfestation in Calgary. The last recorded rat infestation in city was at a Medicine Hill landfill in 2012, at which exterminators dealt with the animals, and subsequently scrubbed the affected area clean for weeks. These events illustrate that no matter how many times or how exhaustively they’re dealt with, rats and other pests just keep coming back for more.

Phil Merrill, a provincial pest control specialist, was open to the possibility that the rat hitchhiked on a passing vehicle, and was not, therefore, part of a resident colony in New Brighton. While it may not be readily possible to verify this, the fact remains that these rodents are known to be extremely resourceful. These animals often adopt the strategy of keeping their presence undetected, thereby allowing them to forage for food in safety, and even procreating and raising their broods in total obscurity.

Homeowners who do spot a rodent, whether dead or alive, are prudent to assume that their homes have already been infested, since these creatures can safely inhabit the tight spaces within a house’s walls. It could be quite difficult to flush out all the rats, or get rid of a mouse in the wall without creating some structural damage. It is thus advisable to call upon a professional pest removal company like Skedaddle Wildlife Control to coax the vermin out of the walls and safely remove them from your premises.

Alberta might claim to be “rat-free,” but for as long as rats thrive anywhere, homeowners can never be too complacent with vermin control. Rats will inevitably find ways to infiltrate people’s homes in the most covert ways possible. Instead of exterminating them through poison or other such drastic measures, homeowners can engage wildlife control specialists who will carry out appropriate pest control solutions, and keep homes protected from all kinds of unwelcome creatures.