Rats are often portrayed as clever little creatures in cartoons and animated films. There is a reason for this stereotype – rats are smart. Rats are also very cautious. The combination of smart and cautious makes rats very hard to catch. Here are eight tips to trap rats effectively.
Why you need to trap rats
Get rid of the rat infestation in your home now using traps. If you don’t act quickly, you and your family will be exposed to the dangers of rat infestations.
- Rats spread deadly diseases. Leptospirosis and salmonellosis are just some of the diseases associated with rats. You can get diseases if you get in contact with rat carcass, urine, or feces.
- They can structurally destroy your home. Rats will only gnaw through your cardboard boxes and furniture if you are lucky. They can also gnaw through your electrical wiring and insulation, putting you at risk of serious structural damage and even housefires.
- They are disgusting and unsightly. Rats urinate and defecate whenever and wherever they please. They also have a habit of dying in the most inaccessible places in your home. A rat infestation can easily stink up the place. This is not just a health risk. It is also disgusting and unsightly.
Tips to trap rats effectively
1. To trap rats effectively you need to know the different kinds of traps
Understand that there are different kinds of rat traps. There are containment traps that contain rats alive in a space, glue traps that stick rats in a board and snap traps that kill rats with a snapping mechanism.
They all have pros and cons. Containment traps are more humane because you capture the rats alive, but dealing with a living pest is another problem. Glue traps are great because they are not as intimidating as snap traps for rats, so they are more likely to fall for them. But they are not very humane because the rats don’t die immediately. Snap traps are effective because they can kill your problems in one swing, but they are not so great when they only injure the rats.
Choose the kind of trap you think will work best for you.
2. Identify the rat species in your home
It is important to know the rat species invading your home. Different rat species may require different rat control methods.
There are two general kinds of rats that invade homes –black rats and brown rats. Black rats can grow up to 12 inches only while brown rats can be as long as 16 inches. You will need to use bigger and stronger traps for the larger rats. If you don’t, the trapping may be ineffective.
3. Choose the appropriate baits
Another reason why it’s important to know the rat species in your home is that different rat species have different food preferences. Black rats are picky eaters. They prefer those that can be found in the wild, such as berries, nuts, and seeds.
Brown rats are not that picky. But if you can say they have a preference, it is fatty, sweet, and protein-rich foods like bacon, chocolate, peanut butter, and sausage.
Use the right baits for the kind of rat you have at home.
4. Use multiple traps
You can’t just trap rats effectively with one trap. No matter how great that one trap is, it will take a while to get rid of an infestation if it has no help. There are also a lot of spots in your home where rats can come and go. You are missing out if you are using only one strategically placed trap.
You will have to use multiple traps even if you think there are only a few rats in your home. Generally, you should have at least three traps for every rodent.
5. Place the traps on the right spots
But how do you strategically place traps in the first place? You put them on spots where rats are more likely to traverse, such as along walls, behind appliances, inside cabinets, under furniture, generally dark and moist areas, and areas with obvious rat activity. If you see rat feces or urine in an area, it is a good area to install traps.
6. Wear gloves when handling the traps
Rats have a strong sense of smell. They are also very cautious of new objects, especially if they are very familiar with the area. You don’t want to rouse their suspicion any further by leaving your scent on the traps. You can only trap rats effectively if the traps appear natural.
You can avoid leaving your scent on the traps by wearing gloves whenever you are handling them. This is especially good advice if you frequently touch your pets too. The scent of your pets can also get into the traps if you don’t wear gloves.
7. Be cautious of trapped rats that are still alive
Trapped rats can still be alive, especially if you use a weak snap trap or an ineffective glue trap. But you can end their suffering by hitting them in the head with great force or shooting them with a projectile from afar.
Is it usually not a good idea to release injured rats in the wild because they won’t have the strength to thrive. But if you really want to release them, take them to the veterinarian to heal their wounds and release them far from your home to avoid reinfestation.
8. Properly dispose of dead rats
You can get rid of dead rats by double wrapping them in plastic bags and throwing them in garbage cans outside your home. But it’s not always so simple. You will have to wear gloves when handling the dead rat to avoid direct exposure. You will also have to ask your city’s animal control service to know if it is okay to dump dead rats directly into garbage cans.
You can avoid this hassle by hiring a pest control professional.
Other rat control methods
If you don’t feel like using traps, there are other rat control methods that are just as effective if not more. Here are some methods you can try.
- Hire a pest control professional. Rats are some of the most mainstream pests out there. Surely, your pest control professional has dealt with hundreds or thousands of cases. Hiring a professional to get rid of an infestation is the best method. It puts you out of the equation and lets an experienced and knowledgeable person do the dirty work for you.
- Use rat poison. Rodenticides are specifically designed to get rid of pests like rats and mice. There are those that are commercially available, so they are pretty accessible. Make sure to read the instructions and keep them out of the reach of children and pets. Rat poisoning in humans and animals are not unheard of.
- Contain food and water sources. Rats are in your home for resources and shelter. Deprive them of resources by storing your food and water properly in cabinets, containers, and refrigerators. Don’t forget pet food and garbage cans too. They are also a great source of food and water.
You can trap rats effectively
You can trap rats effectively even though these pests are smart. All you have to do is outsmart them by knowing the right traps and baits, handling these mechanisms with care, and placing them in the most strategic places.