Rats are a common sight in the city and suburban areas. It generally becomes a problem when an infestation of rats moves into your home. Rats are in the rodent family and are just as destructive as any other member is. They also carry body lice, flee, and can be disease ridden. Because their front teeth grow endlessly, they must constantly chew. The can chew through wiring, water lines, house siding, drywall, and even cement foundations. If you have a rat infestation, you need to be rid of them as quickly as you can. Here are some tips about learning their habits, and successfully ridding your home of them. First, try to understand the rat’s habits. This will allow you to make sure your problem is rats. After you determined they are present, you must next choose your method of eradication.

If you choose to be rid of these pests without killing them, there are a few ways. There are Traps that are designed to allow the rat to exit, but not re-enter your home. This type of trap is called one-way funnel or exclusion trap and is easy to build and install. It has a funnel shaped entrance that allows a rat to leave through the larger end, but not return. This “simple to make” trap uses ¼-inch hardware cloth and a few screws. You can attach it to a cage for more effectiveness as well. This allows you to catch a bunch of rats without having to reset the trap each time. You may choose to go with a live trap.



There are several varieties of them on the market as well. They are constructed with heavy wire and consist of a well-built cage with a solid door that slams shut as the pressure plate inside is triggered. Most live traps will only catch one rat at a time. Whenever using a live trap, please check it often, so that any creature trapped can be dealt with quickly so as not suffer. You can also try using ultrasonic emitters that create a frequency unheard by humans, but severely irritating to rodents. There are repellents that you probably already have in your home that are said to drive out rats like peppermint, sage, and wintergreen. Just sprinkle it around and the rats will skedaddle (planting it as a border around your home is said to work also). Use can also make a preventative spray from equal parts of ammonia and vinegar, or one gallon of water with ½-cup detergent and a few splashes of Tabasco sauce.

One you have gotten all the rats out of your space (do not forget to check for babies), find entryways like cracks, holes, etc. and seal them immediately. To avoid these types of troubles in the future, make sure that no pet food is left unattended. Secure the lids on garbage cans, and clean up overgrown brush and debris from around your home.

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How to get rid of rats without killing them