How to Get Rid of Rats at Home

Rats mainly feature out in search of food, water, and shelter at night and in many cases are homes become their favorite hang out. This does not mean they will actually live in your home; they only frequent your home for food and water.

Rats are not as easy to get rid of, as many people believe. Rats are a bit leery of new things that have been placed in their paths along their favorite places to visit. This means if you place a trap somewhere close to an area they visit, normally it will be left totally alone for up to four days. Professionals explain that since rats are this way when it comes to new things, it would not be wise to bait a trap as soon as you place it. The reason being is that before grabbing the bait, they will investigate the trap for at least a day before they actually grab the bait. The best way is to leave the trap with the bait alone.

After a few days, you will notice the bait gone. Now, add more bait and set the trap. The rats already know that the trap is safe or at least they think it is, and is a great place to receive a treat. They will easily grab for the bait without a second thought. Of course, you may be wondering what rats like to eat. Well, many people have tried all kinds of things for bait. Cheese is not the best bait! Many people state that peanut butter and even pop tarts do a much better job.

You can use a large variety of traps - ones that will kill the rat or others that will only trap the rat so you can release it. One thing to remember though, if you release the rat back into the field nearby it will find its way back. Rats also bite, so be very careful when releasing it back into the wild.

When you decide on the trap, you prefer you must learn the instinct of rats. They normally travel into your home by way of the baseboards. They like to stay out of sight and do not like walking across a room, they will stay as close to the walls as possible. You need to place the traps close to the wall and of the way of small children and pets. The best places to place traps are behind the stove, the refrigerator, under all the sinks, behind the washing machine, and possibly behind the commode. Yes, rats are looking for water as much as food and there are rats large enough to drink out of the commode just like your dog.

If you would prefer to keep the rats out of your home instead of trapping them, they you need to find the way they are coming in and blocking the hole. You can fill in all cracks and crevices from the walls to the basement to the attic to ensure the rats will not be able to find away into your home.