Rats may weigh up to 18 oz, but you may not always see them on your property. For most people, they end up discovering they have a rat problem when they see signs of their presence. If you suspect an infestation going on in your home, you must check for these telltale signs:
- Check for droppings near and around food sources whether it is human or pet food.
- Look for grease marks along walls and baseboards as rats follow the same pathways when they are searching for food.
- Check for chew marks on drywall or wood around your house as rats need to keep their teeth sharp which is why they tend to gnaw on anything.
- Rats tend to stay close to their nesting place, so check for any holes or hidden spots with nesting materials.
Best Ways to Catch Rats Inside Your House
There are different ways to achieve rodent control in your home. Among the popular ways to kill rats and mice are baits and traps. These can be used separately for removing the rodents or together to control the infestation. It is your preference for the type of solution that you want to use for the infestation in your home.
Traps
Traps hold rodents in one place. This is an ideal solution if you want to see evidence of rats caught in your home. There are different types of traps that you can choose from. The classic wooden rat traps like the Tomcat Rat Wood Traps and Victor Metal Bait Pedal Rat Trap are among the common options that you can find.
Another option is the use of mechanical traps like the Tomcat Rat Snap Trap Single that is easy to set and rate removal is also simple. For areas such as refrigerators and under-stoves, it is recommended that you use glue traps like the Predator Rat Glue Traps. Glue traps will immobilize rats and are non-lethal so you can easily dispose of rats humanely.
Baits
Bait stations contain rodenticides that will kill rats slowly. This method uses the feeding habits of rats against them.
Rats are wary of any new food around them and will nibble a bit of this food to see if it will harm them. Once they determine that the food is safe, they will eat it until they are full. This will encourage other rats to follow and eat the food as well.
This is the reason why single-feed baits do not work immediately. If the rats that will nibble the food first are killed immediately, other rats will most likely avoid it also.
For this method, we recommend the use of Tomcat Rat Killer Disposable Bait Station (Tier 1). This is designed to be resistant to tampering especially by children and pets.
Tips in Trapping Rats Effectively
When getting rid of rats and trying to lessen the rat population in your home, you need to be careful and strategic in using pest control methods.
- The first thing that you should do is eliminate all food sources even for just one night. If your home is rat-infested, you can make all the baits work by limiting their food source. They will more likely consume the bait you placed on the trap once they no longer have a food source.
- Fences and walls are used by rats as their guides when going around your house. This is the main reason why you might not see them roaming in the center of the room. Rat or mouse traps work effectively when installed along the wall and in hidden, low-light areas.
- Increase the chance of catching these pests by setting the traps inside closets and furniture positioned near or along the walls.
- Bait traps accordingly to the rat’s diet. If you are aware of the species that you are dealing with, you will have to figure out the type of food that will lure these pests out of their hiding areas. Say, a Norway rat or brown rat is living under your home, they love to rummage dirt and garbage. On the other hand, black rats will find peanut butter an irresistible treat, which is why you should use it as bait.
- If you are dealing with a roof rat infestation, you should set the traps on tree limbs, aboveground locations, or under vegetation on a trellis or backyard fence. Simply fasten the traps using wire to rafters, beams, or overhead pipes.
- Use the right type of trap also depending on the species in your home. See to it that you are catching rats and not mice. Rat traps should be larger than mouse traps. So, identify the pests in your home first before buying traps.
- Place plenty of traps around your home. When trapping rats, you need to set more traps than warranted. You should expect that the population is larger than you think, and you need to catch those rats.
Some of the traps that we recommend are the Fresh Baited Rat Traps, Predator Wood Rat, and Victor Power-Kill Rat Trap.
Regardless of if you are using bait stations, live traps, or snap traps, it is necessary that you also think about the safety of your family and your pets when handling such items. Make sure that you do not touch your pets before you handle traps. This is also necessary after handling the traps and you used poisoned baits.
When dealing with dead rodents, it is recommended that you wear protective gloves to prevent contact with the dead animal. You want to prevent getting into contact with ectoparasites that these pests may carry and transfer to you once you handle them.
