Are you currently dealing with a rat infestation? Maybe you found droppings, or heard some suspicious scampering noises, or perhaps you even witnessed one or two rats nervously sauntering around the kitchen – so what’s next? How can we deal efficiently with a rat infestation?
Rats are actually fairly common household pests and they can be fairly dangerous as well. Unfortunately they can be difficult to eliminate (not impossible however). If you have observed any indications of a rat infestation, or even observed one or two of these furry critters within your residence, it is essential to act promptly in order to protect against any permanent damage to your home. If ignored for too long, rats have been known to carry out significant damage to your home by gnawing on furniture, your home wiring and even insulation. They are also well known to carry diseases, some of which can be transferred to humans. Bottom line, let’s get rid of them and take back your residence.
What Are Rats
So what are rats anyway?
Well, rats are large sized rodents. They can grow up to 18 inches in length depending on the species. Two of the most common types of rats residing in the United States are Roof rats and Norway rats.
Roof rats can grow up to 10 inches long, and they have long tails. Their tails are actually longer than their bodies. Roof rats are also commonly known as ship rats or black rats. They have the tendency to find shelter in attics and other upper portions of your home or building.
Norway rats are the larger of the two. They can typically range in size from 10 to 18 inches in length. They possess a longer body and a shorter tail. Adult Norway rats are brownish in color and have a white or grayish underbelly. Norway rats are not proficient climbers and therefore, unlike Roof rats, they tend to inhabit basements and the first floors of your home or building.
Regardless of what kind of rat infestation you are dealing with, you do need to deal with it now and not later. Rats have been well known to cause structural harm to your home, they can chew through water pipes, and rats are recognized to distribute disease through their bite and droppings. That is precisely why it is very important to manage a rat infestation as soon as it is detected.
Signs of a Rat Infestation
So how can a rat infestation be detected?
- A Sighting – While rats try their best to avoid human contact, you may see one, and even if you witness one it does not necessarily mean only one is residing with you and your family.
- Scratching Noises – You may be able to hear them scurrying around and scratching in your attic or walls. If you listen closely, you may be able to hear their telltale squeaks.
- Rat Droppings – Rat droppings are larger than mouse droppings. They can be about a half inch long or even larger. Roof Rat droppings have pointed ends. Norway Rat droppings have blunt ends. You may notice the droppings on your floors or in your cupboards.
- The Smell of Urine – Rat urine will consist of a rather strong and musky odor. You can easily smell it with larger infestations.
- Damage to Your Home – You may notice your garbage bags and other bags of food have developed holes in them. While inspecting the pipes of your home, you may notice small bite markings in the metal.
- A Change in Your Pets Behavior – Dogs and cats possess a better sense of hearing and smell than humans, and they tend to act differently when a rodent is in the home. Your pet or pets may seem very alert. They may bark, or start to paw at areas underneath stoves or refrigerators. If your cat or dog begins to act unusual or have their attention fixed on the ceiling, it could mean they sense a rodent in your home or attic.
Goodbye Rats – How to Get Rid of Them
So you know you are dealing with a rodent problem, let us now put a game plan together so we can get rid of them and live rat-free. There are a few options available.
The Catch And Release Trap
Catch and release traps can be used for many pests including rats, mice, chipmunks and raccoons. Catch and release traps are humane and minimize the overall amount of stress the rat incurs. The common sense logic behind a catch and release trap really is simple. You essentially trap the rat and release it elsewhere. Simply place some bait within the trap (perhaps peanut butter, cheese, fruit or a couple of crackers), and set it. When the rat goes to get the bait, the door will shut, trapping the animal inside and allowing you to relocate it. Please take note, however, that you will need to repeat this process most likely several times in order to catch and release each rat in the home.
Afterwards, make sure to seal up any potential entrances to your home. This is really something you should be doing anyway. When releasing the rat, just make sure you do so far enough away that it will not be able to navigate its way back. As far as the catch and release trap itself, there are many currently available on the market. These traps commonly consist of a cage large enough to hold the rat and a trap door. You can often times obtain these type of traps from your local humane society or pet shop. Some of the more popular brands are listed below. All links to Amazon.com
| Two Doors Catch and Release Trap – By: LuLu Home | Large Humane Rat Traps, Set of 2 – By: Kat Sense |
| Catch and Release Animal Trap – By: HARRIS |
Liquid Deterrent for Rats
First, eliminate any open food sources from your home and spray liquid deterrent for rats on any pipes or locations that the rats are suspected to be located. Liquid deterrent for rats can easily be prepared from olive oil, garlic, horseradish, and cayenne pepper flakes. Oils such as peppermint oil, citronella oil or castor oil have also proven effective in driving the rodents away. Pour the ingredients into a spray bottle and shake before spraying. Alternatively, you can moisten cotton balls with the liquid deterrent and place the cotton balls where you believe the rats are congregating.
Some already prepared liquid deterrents are as follows. Links to Amazon.com.
| Peppermint Repellent – By: Natural Armor | MdxConcepts Rodent Repellent – By: mdxconcepts |
The Ultrasonic Rat Solution
The ultrasonic rat solution is another rather humane method of removing or deterring rats. While some believe ultrasonic pest repellents are not enough to have a rat infestation pack their bags and carry on to a different location, others have had some success with this type of solution. For this reason, it should still be worth considering. The solution basically consists of small gadgets that you simply plug into a wall outlet. They release a high-pitched noise that is too high for most people to notice. The sound they emit is said to discourage rats from coming into your home and motivates those rats currently in your home to pack their bags and leave. If this sounds like something you want to try out, they are relatively inexpensive. Here are a few ones available (links to Amazon.com).
| Ultrasonic Pest Repeller – By: TBI Pro | High Impact Rodent Repeller – By: T3-R |
| Ultrasonic Rodent Repeller – By: Thanos |
Snap Traps
Conventional snap traps do work and are commonly used. They possess a quick trigger process to eliminate the rat. While snap traps can be fairly challenging to set, they are relatively inexpensive, often reusable and very effective in swiftly killing a rat. There are a few different variations of snap traps on the market today. The most common include the bar trap, clam snap trap and hidden kill snap trap. The bar trap is most traditional type of snap trap. Simply bait the trap with peanut butter, soft cheese, or anything else you feel the rat will be attracted to. Next, position the trap and set it. The clam style snap trap simply uses a spring like clam jaw instead of the bar which is used on the bar trap. Finally, the hidden kill snap trap was designed so you will not have to cope with seeing the deceased rat. It will kill the rat in the same method as the traditional bar or clam snap traps however the deceased rat will remain in a chamber so that you will not need to see it. You can release the deceased rat fairly easily and reuse.
Here is a list of some rat traps on the market today (Links to Amazon.com):
| Metal Pedal Rat Trap – By: Victor | Tunneled Rat Trap – By: UCatch |
| Rat Snap Trap – By: Tomcat |
The Electric Rat Trap
An electric shock styled rat trap is designed to deliver a quick flash of energy that will exterminate rats, eliminating them. They usually run on batteries and are designed to handle a rat problem both inconspicuously and effectively. Electric rat traps tend to cost a little more than snap traps.
Some great electric rat traps to consider are the following (links to Amazon.com):
| Electronic Rat Trap – By: Victor | PestZilla Electric Rodent Zapper Trap – By: PestZilla |
Rat Poison (Bait Stations)
Another popular way to terminate a rat infestation in your home is with the use of poison (bait stations). Many popular products are on the market now and they are commonly used. Rats will not perish in the bait station itself, so you should not anticipate finding any deceased rats there. Instead, a rat will enter the station, consume a deadly dosage of the bait, exit the station, and most likely will proceed back to its nest where it will expire. Bait traps are commonly sold in pellet form. One favorable aspect of using a bait station is that it can work for multiple rats at a time, whereas rat traps will typically catch a single rat per time used. On the negative side, the poison used in a bait station can also be harmful to humans and pets, so it is oftentimes not recommended for households with young children or pets.
Below are a list of great bait stations and bait available today (links to Amazon.com).
| Exterminators Choice Rat Bait Stations with Key – By: Pinelake Industries | |
Glue Traps
Glue traps are nothing more than trays that have been well covered with an very powerful adhesive. They usually come pre-baited. When a rat makes contact with the trap, it will become stuck and unable to free itself. The traps, however, are not designed to kill the rat outright. For this reason many believe this sort of trap is not humane and simply will not consider using it.
Hire a Professional Exterminating Service
If you are not comfortable enough implementing the above methods of pest control yourself or have tried and were not as successful as you would have desired, you could get in touch with an outstanding and professional pest removal service. They are in this line of work for a reason and they are proficient at it. They will simply and efficiently help you with the rat infestation. Many businesses offer humane removal services as well. You may, however, need to do some research in order to determine which pest control companies offer these services in your area.
Some exterminating services are below.
Rat Prevention
Okay, the rats are gone. How can we make sure this issue does not come up again next year?
Well, to start try to seal off all entrances and, because rats are known to get through extremely small spaces (about quarter sized holes), you will need to look very closely for these type of cracks or holes.
Also, in order to keep rats away from your residence, it is critical to keep your residence trash free. You should not to leave trash sitting out without a proper trash can, especially outside. Outside, your trash can should have a well fitted lid attached to it in order to help avoid attracting rats in the first place.
In Conclusion
Hopefully, you found this article helpful. Rats, however, are not the easiest pest to rid your residence of. There is nothing to be ashamed about if you would rather call a pest control company. Goal is to have the rats gone.
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