Meet the Pest
Rats are a type of pest that can quickly clear a room if they are spotted or even heard. Their big eyes; brown, black, gray or even white fur; and long, flesh-colored tails can instill immediate fear for some homeowners. However, it is the sheer disgust, filth and disease factors of rats that present a real problem. Knowing how to get rid of rats is about much more than physically removing the rodent. Complete rat removal requires locating the source of entry and the actual nest of the rat colony in order to prevent future rat issues.
Rats are relatively small rodents but are known to carry extensive amounts of diseases. This is courtesy of their habit of living inside places like sewers and garbage piles. Spotting a rat is just the beginning of a homeowner’s problem. Where there is one rat, there is plenty of other clean-up nearby, including a nest, an entire colony of rats that can number from two or three rats to dozens, and a rat path that is often lined with toxic urine and rat droppings.
Bed & Breakfast
Rats can be difficult for homeowners because they can enter a home with their burrowing skills from the foundation or they can use their expert climbing skills to move in through the eaves or roof of a home. However, often a homeowner will hear rats before they actually see them. Rats don’t know to be quiet, so the first rat detection may be the scurrying around a homeowner hears coming from the attic or interior walls. Smelling the urine-soaked nest or the rot of items the rats have brought back to the nest can be the next indicator.
Rats create their nests from shredded papers and grass. They also typically locate the nests close to a food or water source. Rats will get water from anywhere they can, including puddles, condensation on utility pipes or toilets.
Quit Bugging Me!
Short-term solutions for rat extermination begin with finding the rat source, which can be difficult if the point of entry isn’t clear or the nest hasn’t been found. Droppings or nest debris can signal rat activity, making it a great area to start for rat capture. Some of the following techniques are options for the capture of rats:
- Set a traditional tension rat trap by using peanut butter as bait. Rat traps are larger than other types of rodent traps, so a homeowner should be sure he or she is utilizing the right type.
- Glue board traps can be an option but are often considered inhumane as the rat will suffer while adhered to the board.
- Rat zap contraptions attract the rats through bait into a small box and then kill them with an electrical current.
Because rats can carry so many different diseases, it is important to keep tabs on rat traps. Regardless of the type of trap selected, properly dispose of the rat as soon as one is captured.
Good Riddance
Trapping rats will only be the start of removing a rat problem. Finding the access point for rats, removing their nest and sanitizing the area is also part of the extermination process. Some of the following rat pest control tips can help a do-it-yourself homeowner permanently remove rats from an area and protect his or her home from any additional infestations:
- Determine and block the access point for rats. The moist ground around the base of a home or the foundation is a perfect burrowing zone. Small holes in the area, evidence of underground burrowing, and paper and grass nest debris can all be signs of unwanted rat intruders. Holes should be covered with concrete or metal covers, which would be harder for the rats to move through.
- Rat urine is detectable under a black light. Utilize the light to help identify the areas rats appear to be frequenting. This can also help to sanitize the area a rat has been moving through.
- Remove the nest, utilizing complete protection in the way of masks and gloves. The area should be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized in order to remove the odor, germs and debris of rats.
Once a home has become susceptible to rats, continuous pest control should be done on a regular basis to prevent a future infestation. Quickly responding to evidence of rats will help to reduce the damage to a home and the exposure for homeowners.