Most homeowners don’t have the slightest clue on getting rid of rats in their home. Often times, the initial reaction is to panic before going in a frenzy trying to get rid of the rat spotted scurrying across the kitchen floor. As a consequence, the majority of homeowners are ill-equipped with the proper tools needed for successful rat elimination. Having the right tools ready and prepped can help you get a head start on getting rid of rats in the home.

Snap Traps and Bait

It’s the classic rat-killing tool: snap traps lure the rat close enough to trigger the metal snap to kill them on the spot. Snap traps are a tried and true method of getting rid of rats, in that they have been around for decades and have worked better than most other types of traps, including glue traps and zap boxes. They are easy to find in most home and gardening retail stores, as well as affordable and simple to set up. Just place a concentrated, sticky morsel of food like peanut butter on top of the trigger and wait for the rat to come. After the trap has been released, dispose the dead rat by placing it in a plastic garbage bag twice and tossing it in the garbage.

Natural Predators

Cats are natural enemies of rats that have developed a sense for their presence. This in turn has encouraged rats to stay away from homes with cats. Unlike people, cats are not afraid of killing rats, making them one of the most useful and natural tools for not only keeping rats away, but also getting rid of the ones that are already present. And unlike dogs, cats don’t need any training to kills rats due to their natural instincts.

Black lights

While black lights on their own don’t get rid of rats, they are useful for tracking down the rats’ haven by spotlighting their urine. Because rats prefer living in isolated and concealed locations, it takes a good amount of work to uncover where they’re hiding. Rats, like many animals, use urine to mark their territory, where they will eventually breed and grow in number. Using a black light to track down the habitat of rats is ultimately the goal of rat control.

Caulking and Sealing

Taking preventative measures is by far the smartest way to stop rats and other types of pests from entering your home. One preventative way to getting rid of rats is to caulk and seal all entry points where rats are entering from. Much of the time, these are vents and molded parts of siding that rats have been prone to chew through. Using caulk and other sealants around the cracks can effectively keep rats out. Also, replacing broken vents and any other openings work well in effective pest control against rats.