Rats damage structures, contaminate food, and transmit disease to humans and pets. Indications of rat activity include droppings, gnaw marks, and rub marks.
Remove food sources and water, store waste in airtight containers, and promptly wipe up spills. Avoid storing wood and rock piles near your house, and remove vegetation that can provide shelter.
Pesticides
Rat droppings and nesting materials contain dangerous bacteria and pathogens, including the potentially deadly Hantavirus. Use a disinfectant or diluted bleach solution to clean up these areas and remove the odor thoroughly.
Gnaw marks on food packaging, baseboards, or other objects indicate the presence of rats. Rats are also capable of chewing through electrical cords and gnawing through wood. To deter rodents, use non-toxic repellents such as mint oil or diatomaceous earth (food-grade only).
Good sanitation is critical to limiting rat infestations. Keeping garbage and waste securely stored and eliminating places rats can hide will reduce the population. If rat activity continues, consult a pest management professional who can provide additional insights and offer rodenticide baits as a last resort options. They can also help you prevent rats from entering your home in the future by sealing entry points.
Traps
Rats are destructive pests that can cause serious problems in and around homes. They can spoil food, damage clothes and documents by gnawing on them, destroy gardens and vegetable crops and chew electrical wiring that causes house fires.
Rat traps are an effective and inexpensive method of rat removal but must be placed carefully to be successful. They need to be baited correctly and primed with rat scent. They must also be left longer than people believe — sometimes for days or weeks.
The clam-style snap trap is a good choice because it lets you release a trapped rodent without touching it. This helps prevent accidental shocks in households with children and pets. It also has a dual infrared sensor that lets you know a rodent has been captured.
Repellents
Piles of rat droppings, scratching noises in walls, tail drag marks on dusty shelves and chewed holes in food containers indicate a rat problem. A rodent repellent can be an effective alternative to traps and poisons with more preventive measures like blocking entry points, storing foods in sealed containers and keeping trash tightly closed.
Scent-based rat repellents come as sprays, pellets and packets and work by dispersing a strong smell that rats dislike. Other rat repellents emit ultrasonic sound waves, which are inaudible to humans and pets but can disturb rats.
Homeowners can also try several natural repellents, such as essential oils (like peppermint oil) or even crushed rosemary and eucalyptus leaves. Other DIY options include putting drops of peppermint oil on cotton balls and placing them in areas where rat activity is seen.
Baits
Rats are intelligent creatures that use their sense of smell to mark their environment. They avoid things that don’t resemble their scent and shy away from traps.
Using the right bait can distinguish between snapping a rat and letting it get away. Peanut butter, cheese, slim jims and pineapple can all be used as bait for standard rat traps.
If you have a severe rat infestation, setting as many traps as possible is important so your eradication campaign is short and decisive. A dozen or more traps might be needed for a heavily infested house. Place traps toe-to-toe along walls or in established rat runways if you can. You can also use glue boards, which catch and hold rats attempting to cross them like flypaper catches flies.
Inspection
A pest control company can help determine the severity of the infestation and provide a plan of attack for rat removal. They can also help rat-proof a property after the rat infestation is resolved to prevent future recurrences.
Rats can gnaw through many materials, including wood, drywall and wires. Gnaw marks on food packaging, baseboards and other locations are a sure sign of an infestation and should be addressed promptly. Scratching sounds in walls and attics are another sign of a rat problem.
A well-known saying is, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Sanitation is the key to successful rat control. Ensure trash cans are sealed, and all foods are stored in airtight containers. In addition, correct indoor moisture problems like leaking pipes and faucets and keep toilet lids down – rats have been known to drink water from and even enter structures through toilets!
