Is It Safe To Eat Rat Bitten Fruit? ( Absolutely Not )

Do you have rat problems in your house or resident area? And I am sure you might come across rat eaten food in your house. But is it safe to eat rat bitten fruits. Let’s talk about that here. I am sure at the end of this article you will find the answer for the above problem.

Is it safe to eat rat bitten fruit?

It is not safe to eat rat bitten fruit. In fact, they will create major health issues if you happen to eat rat bitten fruits. Rats are a dangerous pest which could contribute to many diseases. Literally they will not wipe their feet before they land on any fruit.

They are quite famous for carrying food borne pathogens in their saliva, urine as well as in their droppings. They can release half an inch of droppings. Hence the risk is very high in creating diseases. Rats may spread diseases and chances are that they can be sometimes fatal. They will further contaminate the food as well as the areas where you prepare the food. This article would be useful for anybody as this is something which you could commonly come across in day-to-day life.

What will happen if you eat food that has been eaten by a rat?

As aforesaid chances are that it could transmit some zoonotic diseases if you happen to eat rat bitten food. If in case the rat which had bitten your food contained any bacteria , chances are that it could transmit the diseases for you. If you start to suffer from any minor symptoms, you need to immediately consult the doctor. Ensure that you keep hydrated yourself and assure there is adequate urine output.

Why rats are dangerous?

Rats can cause several diseases.

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome is usually spread through the rats. Or else, if someone happens to breathe the dust which is contaminated with rat urine or droppings, it will also cause this condition. There will be symptoms such as fatigue, fever, muscle aches in the stomach, dizziness, and chills.

Further, there will also be other symptoms which will happen after 4-10 days such as coughing, difficulties of breathing , lungs filled with fluids as well.

Further chances are that they may carry rat bite fever bacteria also. It can make you sick whether they bite you or not. Rat bite fever can result in fever, vomiting, headache , pains in muscles , joints and it can further result in rashes as well. If you neglect treatment, chances are that it could be fatal to you.

Salmonellosis is another bacterial infection which you may suffer from if you contract rat contaminated food. There will be symptoms such as diarrhea, fever, abdominal cramps etc. Further they will last for a number of days. If the infection gets severe, it is recommended to get hospitalized.

Finally, you may suffer from a bacterial disease called leptospirosis. It could take place if you happen to contact rat contaminated food or fluids.

There will be symptoms such as headache, fever, vomiting and diarrhea. Further chances are that it could also result in meningitis, liver failure and damages to kidneys. Further it could also create fatal repercussions. In addition to these conditions, there will also be conditions such as listeriosis, tularemia lymphocytic choriomeningitis

How to save food from rats

If you come across any rat droppings or nests, it could be possibly due to rats infestation in your home and there will be a high probability of them contaminating your food. Hence ensure that you cover the food containers properly. Avoid sweeping or vacuuming the droppings as they could spread the virus through the air to the food. Ensure that you package food effectively.

I suggest you store the food in metal containers and in glass bottles.

Further you may also use plastic containers which have tight fitting lids as they can resist the rats. Avoid storing food in paper boxes , plastic boxes or in cellophane packages as it is very unlikely that you can close them properly.

If you have flour sacks or grain bags, It would be better if you could place a barrier on them so that rats cannot access them.

Moreover, consider replacing the pasta products, soup and rice mixes into rodent proof packages. Ensure that you still keep the labels and the cooking instruction on the packages though. You can do the same for the cracker boxes and for the larger cereal packages also. You may use empty coffee cans, mayonnaise jars or plastic milk jars to use to store grains.

Rat prevention methods

Fill holes and the cracks and gaps you found at your home. Rats can sneak through holes which are a quarter of size. Hence observe your home properly and if you find any hole, seal them properly. You may use wool, cement or plaster for this purpose.

Next, do not feed them. Rates will tend to eat anything they find at your home. Hence if you keep feeding them, you will have to expect more damage from them. I suggest you cover the garbage cans. Collect the fruits and vegetables which fall on the ground and use them for compost.

Avoid leaving leftover food outdoors. Consider storing food in containers which are difficult for the rodents to attack.

Next remove their habitat such as old cars or any other older appliance at your home. If you have any wood piles or lumber, you need to store them about 18 inches higher from the ground and ideally a little far from your home.

Rats are fond of occupying the heavy vegetation. Hence remove them as well. Further you can set traps inside your home. There are traps which you can use for this purpose, and you can easily find traps which are not dangerous for the rest of other pets and for your kids.

Next you may use baits and poisons outside to prevent the rats occupying your home. I recommend doing these steps outside of your home.

If you end up applying these for the rates which are inside your home, they will make it dangerous for all at home.

However, when you are applying these, ensure that you are adhering to the labeled instruction. Do not leave these closer to the kids or to your pets. You may also check your neighborhood. If you think the rats have occupied your neighborhood, you may need to speak to your neighbors and come up with a solution.

Next you may call the pros to deal with this problem. You can get in touch with the professional rat exterminators if you come across any sign of a rat infestation in your home. Rats are a dangerous set of animals to deal with. Hence getting professional advice to get rid of them would be a fine idea.

Does vinegar keep rats away?

Using Vinegar is a natural way of controlling the rat problem as it keeps the rats away.

One might find using traps as inhumane and using the poisonous as dangerous. In that case, using vinegar would be a fine way of getting rid of the rats. To do that, you may use cotton balls and vinegar. Literally you can imbibe the cotton balls with vinegar, and this will act as a natural rat repellent.

You simply have to place a handful of cotton balls along with some white vinegar.

You can place them in any suspected areas of rat presence. You may literally place them at places where you find rat drooping’s rat urine etc. Besides, you can use vinegar in a cup also. If you find it difficult to get cotton balls, you can place the vinegar in a cup and locate in areas where you suspect of any presence of rats.

However, if you are unsure where exactly the rats will be, you may place them near your furniture. If you have a larger space, you may use multiple cups.

Consider replacing the vinegar cups if there is proper ventilation around the area.

Using Vinegar spray is another way of getting rid of the rats . To do that, You can simply take a spray bottle and add some vinegar diluted with water and apply. To be precise on the quantities, you can take a half of vinegar, half water and a teaspoon of salt and mix it properly and use it in the spray bottle. Next you can spray it on the suspected areas. Besides, you may use vinegar with baking soda as well. It will kill the rats.

Does black pepper get rid of rats?

You can use black pepper to get rid of the rats as they contain high quantities of chemicals called piperrin. They are toxic for rats. Besides, they will create discomfort and irritation in the nasal passage of the rats. They are safer to use rather than using the other chemical products.

If you do not want to harm the rats and still want to get rid of them, using black pepper would be a fine way of doing it. Having said that, if the rats consume black pepper in large quantities, it will kill them.

If they consume a few nibbles of black pepper, they will not come closer to them in the future.

Further using black pepper to get rid of them would be a great idea for those who are looking for an inexpensive way of getting rid of them. Black pepper spiciness makes the rats irritated and the discomfort and the nasal irritation that happens due to this make them flee from the area. Black pepper will be a barrier for the rats here. There are records to show that black pepper has been a fine solution to get rid of the rates especially in your home and in apartments.

How does dry ice get rid of rats?

Using dry ice is a fine way of getting rid of the rats. Dry ice is the frozen form of carbon dioxide. Literally a rat exterminator will place the dry ice in a rat burrow. When the carbon dioxide emanates, it will melt and that will kill the rats very quickly. However, this is regarded as a humane way of getting rid of the rat problem.

It will be a safer method to apply, even if there are kids around your home as it is very unlikely that they will ingest them.

Furthermore, it is not toxic to them. You may use this option as a safe alternative to getting rid of the rats outdoors.

This will be one effective way of getting rid of the rats. However, you will have to keep doing this until you can get rid of this issue entirely.

Do used tea bags keep rats away?

You can use tea bags to naturally get away from the rats. Rats do not like the peppermint infused Oils and tea bags as simply they do not like the strong fragrance it has. You may use tea bags along with rodent irritants such as peppermint , cinnamon, and lemon. They will act as natural repellent without killing the rats.

However, you cannot use this method for the long term. Chances are that they might bring them to your home and use them for their nesting purposes when the smell fades away.

This method would be a one fine way of getting rid of the rats specially for the people who do not want to apply any hazardous way of getting rid of the rats.

You can simply use peppermint infested tea bags for this purpose. This is a safe and effective way of doing this. Furthermore, it is not costly either. Ensure that you switch the tea bags once every three to four weeks if you do this. You may make larger batches of tea bags at once. Next you can place the tea bags where you suspect of any rat infestation.

Can rats eat through aluminum foil?

Rats cannot eat through the aluminum foil despite how hard they try. Rats do not like aluminum as it will act as a barrier for them if they want to access the house. It can make them starve and kill. Hence i suggest you stuff all the cracks and holes in your house with aluminum as they will prevent the mice accessing your home.