“Rats” is a four-letter word. Just to mention rats in everyday conversation is to imply dirt, debris, distress, and death but learning how to get rid of rats doesn’t have to take an obscene amount of time.
If you have a specific problem with rats in your attic, then read this post called Rats in the Attic: What Do You Do?
While a domesticated white rat can make an intelligent and loyal pet, the hoards of black and brown rats lurking in sewers to invade our homes can turn our lives on end. The Pied Piper and the BBC describes their history and habitat.
Rats are a perennial public health and environmental health services problem. In ancient times, rats carried the fleas that carried plague. In modern times, there are still places where rats transmit plague, and two of them are in the United States. Throughout history, rats have transmitted other rare but potentially devastating diseases through their urine and droppings such as rat-bite fever, hantavirus, typhus, meningitis, foot and mouth disease, and leptospirosis. Rats can gnaw through insulation, chew through sheet rock and ceiling panels and wall paper, soak carpets and upholstery with their urine, and become so numerous that they even terrify the family cat and you yourself inside of your home.
Where do rats live? The simple answer is, just about anywhere. This article will give you the information you need to know about how to get rid of rats. It will discuss methods that work and methods that don’t work for getting rid of rats, beginning with that traditional predator of rats and mice, the cat.
Note: Click on any topic in the table of contents below to jump to that section in the page.
Table of Contents
1. Employing Cats to Remove Rats
There is no more natural method for exterminating rats than keeping cats. The problem with using cats for rodent control is that there is no guarantee that the kitty you come to love will have a natural inclination or skill for hunting and killing rodents. And if your inside-outside pet cat is a good mouser, then you may also notice song birds missing from your yard or even wake up one morning unable to locate the family hamster.
Kittens usually learn how to hunt rodents at night by watching their mothers. It’s only natural to keep a good mouser and her kittens for long-term pest control. Keeping multiple cats to keep rodents in check, however presents additional problems. Cats are territorial. They will mark their territory with urine. They can catch tapeworms, roundworms, tularemia, toxoplasmosis, and yersiniosis (you can read about the last three symptoms at the National Library of Medicine, CDC and the Department of Health respectively) from the rats they catch and pass that disease on to dogs or even to you and your family. Furthermore, rats reach places in your home too small for a cat to squeeze in. It’s a temptation to put out poison in the nooks and crannies that can’t be entered by cats.
Rat poison might seem like a quick and easy way to rid your home of a rats nest. Just sprinkle out the bait, wait for the rat to take it, and you will never see the rat again. That is exactly what happens. And that is the problem.
The original rat poison was a chemical called coumadin, or 4-hydroxycoumarin or 4-hydroxythiocoumarin to be more precise. This is the same chemical that is used to make a drug to prevent blood clots in human blood called warfarin. Tiny amounts of coumadin were added to a bait. Rats would eat the bait over a period of days as the coumadin built up in their bodies. Eventually their capillaries would begin to leak and they would start bleeding into their muscles and joints. In about a week the rat would lose so much blood that it would experience shock and die, leaving its carcass to decay and incubate disease and odor.
The makers of rat poisons eventually realized that having a rat slowly get sick and die in a crawl space under the floor or inside walls was not an optimal method of pest control. They created a second generation of anticoagulants that acted in the same way as coumadin, only a lot faster with a much smaller dose. These chemicals include bromadiolone, difethialone, difenacoum, brodifacoum, and flocoumafen.
Bromadiolone is used in the UK for rats that are resistant to coumadin. It works as an antagonist to vitamin K, which the bodies of rats (and people) use to make clotting factors. A rat that finds leafy greens to eat can resist bromadiolone indefinitely.
Difethialone has been banned in the US and many other countries because it is dangerous to house pets and people. Difenacoum is being phased out because it can get into the water supply and kill fish. Brodifacoum is highly toxic to rats and also to cats that might catch them after they have been poisoned. Brodifacoum is extremely toxic to fish, and can kill dogs, small mammals, and small children. It builds up in fatty tissue and is only slowly released by fatty tissue. Accidental poisoning can take months to treat. And flocoumafen is so toxic that it is only used when there is a rat problem in sewers in the US and UK.
Rats and mice can harbor probiotic bacteria just like people can. These bacteria help activate vitamin K, which counteracts coumadin. Many rat poisons contain antibiotics to kill friendly bacteria. This reduces the competition for disease-causing bacteria so that infections can explode in both rats and people.
If you don’t want to use cats to get rid of your rats, and you don’t want to use poisons to get rid of your rats, maybe you want to consider rat traps. Simple spring-loaded rat snap traps that snap shut on a rodent trying to eat a bite of food promise a quick and painless death.
Most users of these type of traps puzzle over the question of “What do rats eat?” The simple answer is that cheese and peanut butter are a gourmet treat for rats. Most people don’t have immediate success with baiting a trap, however, the fact is that before you get the “feel” for loading a traditional spring-loaded trap with a tiny tray you will probably trap your finger at least one or two times. You’ll put it out and wait for a few days, and the bait will still be there. That’s because rats avoid new objects in their environment.
After rats become accustomed to having the trap in their territory, they may learn that they can activate the trap by bumping against it or just by running past it, exposing a safe morsel of bait they can eat at their leisure. If the trap works, you have to remove and dispose of the rat and the trap because it is a lot easier than trying to clean it. It’s best not to trap your finger in a wire coated with bacteria or poisons from the blood and body juices of the dead rat. All of these problems can be avoided however, if you just use the right kind of rat trap like the Victor rat zapper.
Glue traps are a cruel way to catch rats. They capture but do not kill rats. The animal struggles to escape until it dies of a heart attack or dehydration. It urinates and defecates on the trap before it dies. If you find the animal on the sheet of glue before it dies you will have to remove a live and angry rat that has teeth with which to express its displeasure. Glue traps can only be used once. For most homeowners, one experience with cleaning up after a glue trap is more than enough.
If these common methods of rat control don’t work, what does? The most common methods used to attempt to get rid of rats don’t work. But there are some methods that do. Like the ones below.
1. Keep doors and windows shut. They are the most common entry points for rats. Inspect and seal gaps around pipes and wires entering your dwelling. Be especially careful about openings to and from your attic, basement, or crawlspace and the rest of your house. Any sign of rodent access is a sign you need to close a gap.
2. If the cost of rodent removal is your primary concern, and traditional rat traps haven’t worked for you, try the Victor Rat Traps M326, which comes in a set of nine traps. The unique innovation of these traps is a plastic tray to hold the bait. Rats can’t snatch the bait off the tray without setting off the trap. The size of the tray makes it less likely that vibrations will set off the trap without a rat getting caught.
3. If you just don’t want to handle dead rats at all, zap rats by electrical means instead. Rat zappers like the Agri Zap RZU001 Rat Zapper Ultra kill rats with quick jolt of electric shock. When you find a dead rat, just lift the door of the trap and dispose of the rat in the trash bin, keeping your hands clean and your pets safe. (Be sure to wear disposable plastic gloves when you handle your zapper to avoid transferring your scent to the trap.) You can even add “Rat Tale” accessories to the RZU001 Rat Zapper Ultra by Agrizap to inform you as an indicator light flashes on a monitor you can place anywhere in your house to tell you a rat is in the trap.
4. If you have a heart to catch rats and release them to the wild, test out a Havahart Rat Trap. After you have had the trap in place for a few days, any rat in the area will feel secure enough to run inside the trap to get the bait. Pressure on the food tray closes the door behind the rat, and you can then take the trap to a park or grassland and let the rat go with the press of a lever. You can’t catch rats in the tiny plastic containers designed for catch and release of mice to places where they won’t do damage. You’ll need a metal cage like the Havahart Rat Trap to accommodate an adult rat.
The most important thing you can do to keep rats from entering your property is to avoid creating an outdoor home. Keep grass and weeds mowed. Keep wood and any kind of building material off the ground. If you keep a composter for your garden, never add eggshells, meat scraps, or kitchen grease. Let your cats and dogs roam your garden. Even if they don’t catch rats, their scent will scare rodents away.
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Hi Mark,
I am uncertain if I have rats, mice or carpet beetles. My research (Google) that it is more likely to be the latter. A pure wool carpet is being chewed through the underlay to the bare concrete slab. I have used sprays, powders etc. but have to be careful with pets. I have read that making up a spray using cider vinegar can be a safe and reliable control. Apparently carpetn beetles only like a pure wool carpet and ignore those with a synthetic fibre in the carpet mix.
I would like to hear your thoughts on this.
Regards,
Barrie Osborne Melbourne Victoria AUSTRALIA
Hi Barrie - the most important thing to establish is, what animal is causing the damage. I suggest you get a cam trap/ pest camera trap (you can search and read about them on this website). The second thing to establish is where in your home are they living. Once you know the answer to these questions, you can work out the best course of action.
Simon
I have a raised foundation and have discovered that there are a couple of holes in my vents on and around the house. I have heard noises under the house and we have had a dead rat in our pool. What is the best time of day or is there any to plug up those holes. Also question number two is although I don’t see any droppings around the house inside, My dog is going crazy and sniffing everywhere, is that because they’re underneath the raise foundation or is it possible they could be in the house or walls as well. Thank you
The best time of day to plug any holes is as soon as possible. If your dog is going crazy, then it is probably because they are underneath the raised foundation. Keep a sharp eye out for rat droppings inside your house and you may want to use a camera trap to see exactly what is going on.
1 really need your help and advice two vacant house Trailer were front and behind had alots of rodents and mouse. The Carpenter Nd repair men told me. These house trailer were vacant for more than six years. They said a lots. After 3 days we have some in my place. My flowers Pot they dig the soil and they eat the leaves of my plants. Now See. Some arround my kitchen. Please help me. Thank you mark ! ! ! MariaLiza
If you want to control rats outside your home, then you may have to sacrifice your flower pots until the infestation has gone. I suggest removing any food and water sources, including your pots, and nesting materials from under and around your trailer home. Do not leave pet food outside and clear all the debris from around your home. Make it an inhospitable place for rats to live. If it is legal for you to use rat poison, set some bait stations.
Good luck, Simon.
We have a very big female that’s not scared of anything and even jumps on you . We have tried everything trap below trailer natural remedy and cannot get rid of her her mate or for babies I need it
My advice is to use a lot more traps and different types of traps. The other thing to do is remove all food and water sources from around your trailer.
I have rats in my kitchen ceiling it's a flat roof I had the roof took off and a new one it was quiet for 2 mth but a month ago I can hear them there back pls pls help
Hi Jane,
Are you sure they are rats in the roof space, if so how did they get in there? I have a flat roof and often here scratching noises, but these are just birds or squirrels walking on top of the roof. You might want to get a camera trap and put it on your flat roof to see what is happening. You can read about them here https://www.pest-control-products.net/2761/reviews/wildlife-camera-trap/.
Simon
I have a rat or rats in my wall. Pest control people have been setting traps in the crawl space and blocking access when they find entry points, but I have been able to hear chewing for six months now. Do I need to cut a hole in the wall and try to lure them out.
I would be very reluctant to cut a hole. Before taking any drastic action like that, I would prefer to understand what I'm dealing with. If you can't get access to an area, have you thought about using a telescopic inspection camera?
Hi mark
Please help!
I was looking at diffetent types of rat poison and wasn't sure what best to get. We have a 1930's detached house and have had rats under the lounge floor on and off for the last 3 years!
We have used traps which caught them but didn't stop them from coming back and poison that killed them but left the most awful smell that nearly made me rip up my very expensive oak floor to get them!
Now they are back! We have even had two very small baby ones (or mice but I think rats) get into the actual house!!!
We have had people out last year to advise and they said about traps etc. we have also paid for a drain survey on our house to see of any drains are cracked or broken, they arnt!
I stumbled across a type of poison on the Internet that dehydrates the rats do they rush outside to get water and die! Yay! Is this right? And do you think this is the best approach?
Many thanks for your help!
Jodie
Sent from my iPhone
Hi Jodie,
We don't ever recommend using poison because of two problems. One is that you don't know where the rats are going to die and if they die in your house, then you get the smell. The 2nd problem is that another animal, like a cat, may eat the dead rat and subsequently they will be poisoned.
The most important task for you, is to find out how they are getting into your house. Your second most important task is to set traps and keep trapping until you are sure they are all gone. Then once a week you carry out a thorough inspection of your house and grounds, any sign of rats, you put the traps back out again.
Sorry Mark, forgot to say, my problem is with rats not mice....yuck:)
Mark, great site. I have posted to you fb account also. There are some problems with all the advise here and that I have found elsewhere...the first big one seems to be the assumption that all people with rat or mouse problems live in a single family detached home where they can control entry points. Many people, myself included, live in a row or twin. My neighbor is disgusting, really beyond description and his house is falling apart. While I have blocked all access to my home that I can and my home is spotless, blocking off access points in this case is impossible. I am trying to get the city to evict the man, but it takes a long time maybe a year. In the mean time, I have a beautiful pet dog and my home is about 20 feet from a playground. I would like to avoid poison for many reasons; however the infestation in my walls and roof, just keeps getting worse. I have followed all the guidelines for trapping and haven't caught one. I just installed access panels on each floor of my home and need to use something to kill the buggers. I have read that baking soda mixed with flour or other food kills them, but I can't find anything other than hearsay about this. I know plaster and cement doesn't work. Any thoughts?
There is also a product called eradibait, which is made of alpha cellulose from corn cobs and sugar, it us effective and non-toxic, but you can't get it in the US nor have it shipped here, only avail in the UK...for god's sake I don't know why they would sell poison yet restrict a non toxic option. I have been researching for ways to make something comparable...corn cob litter mixed with peanut butter? Are you willing to try to get creative with me? Any ideas? Thanks
Hi Rebekah,
I understand your problem and have to agree it is not a very nice one. You have made three main points, so I will address them separately.
1. If you are getting rats coming into your home from your neighbors house and there is no physical way you can block all holes because of the way the houses are built then this problem needs to be addressed with some urgency. I would gather all the information together you have about what problems rats can cause, have a look here https://www.pest-control-products.net/724/rats/just-how-destructive-are-rats/.
Then armed with all your information, go and talk to all the house owners in your row with the objective of forming a residence committee for the purpose of getting rid of rats. You will have more leverage when you go and talk to the local authority and many heads makes it easier to brain storm solutions.
This is your first priority because if you did start to kill rats, more will just enter your house through the gaps.
2. We don't recommend trying to kill rats with any type of poison and I have never heard of baking soda and flour. If something will kill a rat, it will also be harmful to other animals. If you haven't caught a rat yet, it is probably because they can smell a human on the traps - have a read of tip no.7 https://www.pest-control-products.net/726/rats/ten-essential-rat-control-tips/
3. We have found the rat zapper to be the most effective rat trap and can read more about it here: https://www.pest-control-products.net/430/reviews/the-top-three-rat-zapper-products/
I know you are in a difficult position, so please start by talking with all your neighbors.
Mark
Thanks Mark,
I have been busy trying to organize the block and deal with the various city organizations. Very challenging here and time consuming. I am well aware of the destruction these creatures cause that is why I am on it as much as I possibly can be. The YMCA lot on the other side of my neighbor has been trapping but I saw today them unloading bait boxes, in a playground no less... poison is the cities' first and only solution.
I have a rat zapper, but as an electronic device it cannot be used outside. The standard traps covered with a box seem to be better, but it is not enough to take care of the critters in my walls.
I agree that if it will kill a rat it will kill a dog...mostly. There is an LD50 for everything...even water, but it is not the same for all species. The xylitol in my chewing gum is good for me but would kill my dog quickly. There is a product called Eradibait that kills rats and is not harmful to humans or other non target animals...we would have to eat our weight in the stuff to kill us, but it kills rats over the course of 4-7 days same as warfarin. Unfortunately, it is not available here, there is also a species specific rat poison developed in the 60's that is also unavailable.
In the states for some reason , they only approve the things that actually kill children and pets in an effort to kill rodents. Perhaps if safer alternatives were available d-con's profits would suffer? I will say I have been researching like crazy to see if I could get this eradibait product or something like it. It is made of alpha cellulose from corn cob and molasses for flavor. There are various pet litters now that are also made of alpha cellulose from corn cob and a few natural clumping cat litters that are made of small particles of this stuff. It seems a logical conclusion that unscented corn cob litters mixed with peanut butter or sugar should do exactly the same thing. I am trying it now. It will either kill them or make em uncomfortable. I'll try to stop back and let you know.
I know more will only move in as I kill the existing ones, but I may have to resort to poison to simply keep the population from exploding while I get the community organized and the city to do something...which I have found out may be a year...yikes.
Thanks for your help.
Hi Rebekah,
You mentioned that you didn't think you can use the rat zapper outside, well you can get a casing that allows you to do this, have a look here and scroll half-way down the page, and you can see the box.It's called the rats nest!
https://www.pest-control-products.net/430/reviews/the-top-three-rat-zapper-products/
Secondly, if have rats in your walls, and you poison them, they will go back into your walls and die. Their carcasses will rot and create an awful smell, so think very carefully about using poisons.
The dogs "Jack Russels" are natural rat killers. If they can get to your rats, they will kill them watch this short video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gh84o5STysk
Kind regards, Mark.