Prevent Prevention Methods Eliminate water sources Be sure and wear rubber gloves and protective clothing when doing this, since rats carry so many diseases. If you find a rat, you will need to properly dispose of it and clean up the area around it. That will lower the rat’s guard and make it more comfortable to walk right onto the trap.Ĭheck your traps on a regular basis. Rats are naturally cautious, so you may want to consider putting out bait a few times but not setting the trap. Lay the traps at a right angle, close to walls with the bait side up against the wall. You will need to set several traps in the area because chances are there are several rats. Check the trap every day, and if the bait hasn’t been eaten, replace it. Be careful not to use too much bait, because you don’t want the rat to be able to grab some of the food without triggering the trap. Bait the trap with peanut butter, oats, cereal or even a small amount of tuna. You will find them at most home improvement stores, and you can buy them online, as well. Many pest control professionals recommend snap traps to snare rats. Rats are nocturnal, so if you see a rat in or around the house during the day, that could be a sign of a substantial infestation. They can create two-inch wide runways in the dirt or grass next to structures or fences. Rats are creatures of habit and follow the same routes when they make their rounds for food. Rats are diggers, which means you will see burrows outside along ditches, walls or fences, as well as under building, garbage, woodpiles, concrete slabs, and plants. If they’re using the inside of your home, basement or attic for a nest, you will find an accumulation of shredded paper, fabric, dried plant matter or other soft materials piled together for nesting purposes.
Rats holes are circular, usually about two or three inches in diameter and close to the floor. You may find gnaw marks on wood, food packages, electrical wiring, insulation, ducts or plumbing. They also leave behind rub marks, that look like an accumulation of dirt and grease. You will find the largest number of droppings where the rats are nesting or feeding. Droppings will most likely be near food packages, in drawers or cupboards, under sinks and other hidden areas. Rat droppings are dark but shiny, moist, pellet-shaped, blunt at both ends and about the size of an olive pit. You will hear the rats scurrying around in your attic and scratching at the walls, mostly at night. The first clue that a rat is invading your space is noise. But they can move fast and on high ground-often using overhead utility lines as a travel route. They stash nuts and seeds and prefer to eat in a sheltered or hidden environment. They can wreak real havoc on sugar cane and melons. They can cause significant damage to alfalfa, grains, vegetables, peanuts, fruit crops, sweet potatoes, and sugar beets. Norway rats burrow their way through the ground, which can often be their way into your home.Ĭotton rats are not a farmer’s friend. You may also see holes in your yard or near your foundation. But they don’t need a large open space to get in-rats can get inside through a hole about the size of a quarter. You may find them nesting in your basement or attic. They often take shelter in homes in the fall when food sources outside start becoming scarce. Rats can eat a third of their body weight and drink up to an ounce of water every day. Anywhere they can find food, they will-and they eat a lot. You may not realize it, but you can find these rodents in subways, office buildings, and homes, as well as corn and grain fields or salt marshes. Norway, roof and cotton rats live among humans because there is an abundance of food and shelter. They are incredibly adaptable to their environment and don’t roam far from home base for food or water-usually no more than 300 feet away. But it’s not unusual to see them out during the daytime. Norway, roof, and cotton rats are generally nocturnal, becoming active around dusk. They are considered to be color-blind and only respond to degrees of light or dark. Rats have keen senses except they have poor vision.