Rats are the type of rodents that are intelligent and aggressive. Other rodents such as squirrels or mice can also be quite a nuisance but not as much as rats. If you are a person who doesn’t want to kill rats, you should carry on reading. The only way (other than killing) you can get rid of rats from your house is by trapping them. And to trap a rat, you must know all about it.
1. Use the Right Trap
Mice and rats look very similar until you pay some attention. Many people say that they don’t find any difference between both the rodents. And that is because they have not compared them visually. A rat is, on average, twice the size of a mouse. So, if you buy mice traps and not rat traps, you will waste your money, time, and energy. Mice traps do not work with rats at all, so it is essential to understand the size difference between them both. To catch a rat, you will need the right-sized trap.
2. Use As Many Traps As You Can
Rats reproduce at an amazingly fast rate. They double their population within days. This means there are always more rats than you may think there are. That brings us to the number of traps you should use. Since these traps are reusable, you don’t need to buy hundreds of them. You can begin with five or ten, depending on the severity of the infestation. But the more traps you can get, the better.
3. Place Your Traps in the Right Place
Since rats are quick learners and understand human behavior, they are cautious about their movements. Rats always move along the walls. They are nocturnal and like to crash in dark places. Areas that are not easily accessible by humans are rats’ favourite spots. And all of these areas are the right places for your rat traps. You should be setting your traps along the walls, in the darkened corners, behind appliances, and other spots where you find any sign of rat’s movement.
4. Don’t Set Those Traps Too Early
This is why most people go for a pest control service rather than do it themselves. If you place all your traps and set them all together, you will not catch many rats. One or two may get into the trap, but then they will be very cautious. The key to getting the most out of this trap strategy is by not setting them initially. It means that you will place the traps with the bait (most probably peanut butter) and let the rats feed on it for a day or two. Once they start to trust you with your methods of providing them with their favourite food, set those traps. You will see a maximum number of rats trapped this way.
Conclusion
Rats are not harmless. They carry more than 35 diseases that you, your family, or pets can catch directly or indirectly. If you handle an infected rat (dead or alive), you can catch a deadly disease from it. It is therefore always recommended to hire a professional pest control team to deal with those rats.