Rid Your House of Mice and Rats

Excerpt: The safest most effective way to repel rats is to do all the things the exterminator recommended: plugging up all the holes and setting snap traps. Smells, lights, sounds and any other kind of sonic devices are useless against rats. You will also need to remove any food sources, junk piles around the house, if any, and thin or eliminate overgrown shrubs or ivy that might harbor rats, or large thick tree branches touching the roof of the house. Read more

Examine for Entry Points

Excerpt: When inspecting sites for potential rodent entry points, look for rub marks, droppings, tracks, gnawing, or other rodent signs. Keep in mind the physical abilities and behavior of the particular rodents, especially their tendency to seek shelter behind, under, or in appliances, sinks cabinets, drawers, stored goods, wall voids, false ceilings, and other undisturbed areas. Read more

Traps and Baits

Excerpt: Snap traps and glue boards can be used to capture rats and mice indoors. Successful trap baits for the trigger mechanism include whole kernel corn (or another grain), peanut butter and oatmeal. Do not place traps in areas where children and pets may be able to reach them. Check the traps daily and dispose of carcasses quickly and appropriately to avoid problems with flies. When handling traps that have caught rodents, wear gloves (preferably ones that can be rinsed in bleach). Read more

Trapping is the safest and most effective method for controlling rats in and around homes, garages, and other structures. Because traps can be used over and over again, trapping is less costly than poison baits but more labor intensive. Traps can be set and left indefinitely in areas where rats have been a problem in the past, such as an attic. The simple wooden rat-size snap trap is commonly used for rats, and the newer rat traps with large plastic treadles are especially effective. Generally young rats cannot be trapped until they are about a month old, which is when they leave the nest to venture out for food. Rats & Mice Traps & Baits