Pests & Disease

How To Get Rid Of Rats – DIY Pest Control

August 27, 2021

How to get rid of rats is a common catchcry as rats are destructive, disease-carrying critters and you don’t want them anywhere near your home and certainly not inside. Before you know how to get rid of rats in your home, you first need to identify where the rats are hanging out; no sense in placing traps in the basement if they are in the attic. One of the best give always is rat droppings, and a black light is known to detect urine and a small, handheld one would be practical in this instance.

First Steps in How to Get Rid of Rats

After you have located where they are nesting, it is time to find and seal off any possible entry points into your home. Remember a rat can get through an opening that is only a half-inch wide. Look for cracks in your house foundation or extra space where any wires or pipes enter your home. Also, checks along your baseboards, cabinets, and other dark areas for holes, seal these holes with steel wool as it will cut the gum of the rats if they attempt to chew it.

How To Get Rid Of Rats Rats have a tendency to chew through almost anything, so you need to seal off these potential entrance ways with cement, sheet meshing, or some heavy metal material. For added protection add some shards of glass to wet cement to deter rats from getting in before the cement dries.

Rats are attracted to water and live in sewers and will follow the scent of food to the pipes that lead to your toilet. If you find a rat in your toilet bowl; squirt some dishwater liquid directly into the bowl, close the lid, wait a minute or two and then flush.

How to Get Rid of Rats by Using Natural Methods

A ‘snap trap’ is the best way to get rid of rats, use a little peanut butter spread over a cotton ball as bail it attracts better than a piece of cheese. Rats are quick and have the ability to grab the bait and get away before the trap snaps; wrapping the bait with some dental floss will get stuck in their teeth and slow their attempt to escape. The best place to put the trap is where you found holes or rat droppings, taking care to place it away from the reach of children or household pets.

Rat poisons are not the best choice to get rid of rats inside as they will die in places that will be difficult for you to remove, causing a nasty odor. Also, you need to use a lot of poison because a little will only make them sick and keep them away from it in the future.

Read More: The Field Mouse in your Garden

I hope the tips that you have found in this article on how to get rid of rats will help you to get rid of these creatures once and for all!

Is There Really ONE Solution to Getting Rid of Mice?

The answer is no.

Getting rid of mice takes a lot of little things done well. In fact, the actual act of “getting rid of mice” is one of the last steps to eliminating your problem. Prevention is the first step. The first step is the most difficult and time-consuming, not to mention requires the most patience. It is very important that you are thorough in closing off all of the entrances for these small creatures.

Mice can not only fit in very small spaces (even as small as 3/4 of an inch in diameter) but they are also very intelligent and adaptive. They can catch on to things fast so it’s important that you do not get discouraged if you see that mice are getting in even after you think you have sealed all entries.

It is important to track your progress so you can get a feel if you are winning the battle. Be a detective, use evidence from them to determine how and where they are getting in. Once you determine where their favorite places to enter are then you must plan. Draw a map and note all of the potential entrance points, look for trends, and eliminate all of the common things when it comes to these entrances.

The most important thing to do is stay positive, do not give up if they keep getting in. Be very thorough in sealing all the possible holes and track your progress. Once you effectively complete to first step then you can get rid of mice. Make sure you take it one step at a time because you will waste a lot of time if you do not complete the first task.

Read More: How to Get Ride Household Insect Pests

Get Rid Of Rats With DIY Pest Control

The very presence of rodents is followed by either loud screams or a flow of hateful feelings. No matter what incentives you take to eradicate this species from the very face of the earth, you still find them in your garden, closet, yards, or roof. How to get rid of rats is a common question asked. You need to ponder upon this question that how to get rid of rats easily, inexpensively, and permanently.

The answer to how to get rid of rats can firstly be given by professionals. Local exterminators are professionals who can help you get rid of rats found anywhere in your home. Before contacting them, you need to get a market survey done. Poisonous medicines or traps are usually set by these professionals to get rid of rats. Ask around your friends and acquaintances as they might have faced the same problem and came across a better solution. Keep in mind that when these exterminators will use poisonous medicines all over your place, it might adversely affect the health of your pets and plants.

How to get rid of rats naturally can be the next potential question. The ways which do not adversely affect your plants and pets are natural remedies.

Fix the cracks and seal up every small opening where rats can get access indoors. Putty and caulk can be effective. Check windows, doors, cupboards for cracks on regular basis.
Have-A-Heart traps and glue traps are common traps if you want to get rid of rats yourself. Both of these traps serve different purposes. Later does not kill the rat but lets it die a slow death which can be a little heart-rending. The former trap is a live trap with which can trap rats and leave them away from your home.
Use mothballs and soak some cotton rags in ammonia. Both ways are extremely repulsive to rats.
Mint is a nuisance for rats. Use peppermint oil on railings or places where you doubt rats might pass by. You can also use mint leaves.
To deter rats, get a cat. The presence of a cat repels half of the rodents and your home automatically becomes an abhorred place for them.
If you have a zoo close to your home, visit it and get snake poo. Put snake poo in plastic bags and place it where you think rats might go or can smell easily. This will surely repel rats and the home will become a better place without rats, of course.