Random rats may appear cute; however, if you see one rat, there are sure to be more living in your house. Known for their prolific breeding habits, you probably are only visiting one out of many rats. It only takes one to get in, and you may have several dozen rat within a few short weeks. Unfortunately, after they begin to nest, it may become an uphill battle to rid your home of rats.
Living with rats can not only be embarrassing and troublesome, but it can also become a significant health issue. Rats use urine to communicate, so they likely urinate all over your house. As they forage for food, they urinate and spread disease throughout your home. They also like to gnaw on wiring, which can cause severe electrical issues.
One rat may be cute; however, if you hear one rat, there are many more lurking about that you’re not seeing. So it’s time to take action. Here are five easy ways to rid your home of rat without killing them.
1. Rat Proof Your House
Prevention is always a great place to start with a rodent infestation. Mose homes are invaded by rat in the cold winter months when they’re seeking a warm home to nest, eat, and birth their young. Here is a checklist to help rodent-proof your house.
Keep tree branches trimmed away from your house so that rats can’t use them as bridges into your home. Rats will enter through openings in roofs and attics to invade your house. Find all holes and gaps that they could potentially squeeze through and seal them off with something that is durable like sheet metal, steel wool, or anything else that may keep them out. rat can fit through an opening as small as 1/4 of an inch, so look very closely.
Make sure to weather strip all your window frames and doors that may not seal properly.
Keep trash cans away from the house.
rat love old storage boxes and walls. Soft materials they can use for bedding are a favorite, whether it be stuffed animals or your old sock drawer. Clean out any areas where rat could find soft bedding.
2. Use Scents That rat Don’t Like
rat hate garlic, spicy scents such as cayenne pepper, and other strong scents, including peppermint. However, they have a keen sense of smell and avoid specific odors, so use this to your advantage by keeping such scents around doors and windows where rat may try to enter your home.
Get some peppermint oil and cotton balls, and place peppermint oil-soaked cotton balls around your home wherever you notice activity from rat. One of the best things about this strategy is that it’s not harmful to pets or children. It won’t hurt the rat; it will just deter them from visiting your home.
Rat can circumvent such measures, so you’ll have to reapply frequently and make sure to seal up any gaps or holes in your walls, doors, attics, etc.
3. Keep Your Home Clean
Rodents love dirty houses. Keep clutter picked up, especially in the garage, attic, and closets. Make sure to seal food up in tight glass or tin containers to keep rat out of the leftovers.
Choose metal containers for trash; garbage is like a buffet to rat. An average adult rat can survive on only a few crumbs of food per day so if you have a few crumbs on the counter after dinner, make sure to wipe them up and dispose of them properly.
4. Use Rat Traps That Are Non-Lethal
Instead of traditional snap traps, consider alternatives such as glue traps that aren’t lethal. You can catch rat without incurring harm to rat. Most traps are bait based, the rat is lured in by bait such as cheese or peanut butter, and they can’t climb back out. rat also love sweets, so choose your best bait.
Consider cookie crumbs, peanut butter, cheese, chocolate, or some other tasty treat to entice rat into a trap. Lay traps in areas that rat frequent. You can see where they frequent by noting droppings. If you don’t have a huge rat infestation, the catch and release option will work very well.
Also, make sure to release the rat at least a half-mile from your home. You don’t want the rat to turn around and come back. You’ll have to give this some thought, and it does take a bit more effort than a lethal trap method.
5. Line Frequented Areas With Foil
rat hate aluminium foil; it’s like kryptonite to them. They steer clear of aluminium foil, and it works well to deter them from frequented areas. While it’s a great deterrent, it’s not practical to place aluminium foil all over the house.
Be strategic on where you place it and choose areas where rat frequent. You can wrap foods with foil as well and know that rat likely won’t bother the food at all.
Following these tips should help you to get rid of rat without killing them or you can call a rat control specialist to help you. You may have to use several or all of the ideas at once to keep rat at bay. Don’t forget to freshen things up now and again to make sure that scents stay pungent.
