If you see one rat in your home, there are more of them, because rats are social creatures. You do not even need to actually see a rat. There are enough indications they leave of their existence, such as their urine dribbles (which shine if you focus a black light on them), foods and food cartons that have been gnawed into, holes in the basement, tracks and so on. If you see any of these you have to become extremely careful, because rats can be lethal. They can gnaw away the shirt on your back of you are not careful. Here are some methods that you can use.
Baiting is the most common method people use. Snap traps are available in all stores. Just put a piece of food that rats like and keep the bait open in an area where you suspect rat activity for the night. The rat will surely come and get baited. But this method does not work if there are a large number of rats in the house. Also, it might not work for big rodents such as bandicoots who are not quite enamored with food and may not enter the trap in the first place. But the advantage of this method is that it does not kill the rat, so it is a humane method. It is good for catching apartment rats.
Keep cleaning out your sewer regularly. This is the best breeding place for rats. Get the cleaners to come over and inspect your drainage systems often. Refrain from putting anything in the sewers that might clog it. Do not put any organic foods into them, such as grease.
Rats can subsist on the droppings from bird feeders. So if you have bird feeders in your home, be sure to clean out the area every evening when the birds stop visiting. This includes cleaning out the water in the feeders because rats from the neighbor hood can visit just for the water.
Keep your house very clean, especially the kitchen. Do not leave foods outside overnight. It is best to pack them all in glass or metal containers because rats cannot get through these. Whatever you can keep in the refrigerator, keep it there. Do not leave used utensils overnight – wash them. Make sure you don’t have any easy access for rats in your home. Install grills on your bathroom windows ensuring that the size of the grill is small enough to prevent rats from entering. Do this on all windows if you live on the ground floor.
However, despite doing all these, rats can enter because they are wily creatures. The points I mention are mostly preventive measures, or they can nab a rat or two. But if you are sure the infestation has gone beyond what you can handle, call a professional rat control service. A rat pest control service will not just ensure your house is free from rats, but will also free it from mice and raccoons, cockroaches and lizards. They will also provide a guarantee of up to five years for their services. It is best to get this done once if you are living in a very susceptible area for a rat invasion.
