How Do You Get Rid of Rats for Good?

You've heard the noises in the walls and attic at night. Damage to the garden, feces in the BBQ, wires chewed through, food ruined...it can't go on any longer! You make a decision to do something about the invasive roof rats or Norway rats that are taking over your life. What is the first step? We're going to list 4 effective steps that YOU can take RIGHT NOW to get control and keep rats out of your space.

1. Identify entry points and any access to food the rodents may have.  Keep in mind a large rat can squeeze through an opening about the size of 1 quarter. Often times these entry points will have brown stains or smears, referred to as "grease", surrounding them which is caused by the repeated rubbing of the rodents' fur carrying dirt, oils, urine, and feces.

2. Seal access points into your home, attic, garage, or other structure with 1/4" heavy gauge steel wire mesh (as shown below) and keep fruit trees trimmed away from fences and roofs, shrubs and vines neatly maintained.

Roof rats generally nest above ground in dense vegetation such as ivy and within 300 feet of food sources, are often found living in attics, upper building crawlspaces, and other above-ground structural areas. Norway rats flourish in large cities and also thrive by burrowing beneath buildings, embankments and tree roots, or hiding out in basements, crawlspaces, attics and sewers. Often hiding during daylight hours, Norway Rats may also live in fields, farmlands and inside structures like woodpiles.

3. Set snap traps such as the Victor M201 or Victor Pro M326 near your sealed up access points or other locations know to have rat activity. These rat traps can be made more effective by using the Bait Cage Kit for Rat Traps which includes several Bait Cage attachments and a packet of specially formulated Bait Cage Spread Bait that is irresistible to rats and other rodents. Setting multiple traps in various locations at one time will offer good odds of eliminating the invasive rats that are used to finding food and shelter in these areas and give you the upper hand to control the problem quickly, and each Bait Cage Kit equips you to set up to 3 traps at one time. For moderate or major rat infestations, check out the Bait Cage Kit multipack deals. Continue setting out traps until no more rats are caught, and even after then periodically set out traps to ensure exploring rats are caught before they nest and multiply.

4. Using a cleaning solution (e.g. vinegar, Lysol, Microban) spray all areas with rat feces, urine, and "grease" marks seen around entry/exit location to sanitize and eliminate odors. It is advisable to wear protective gloves, respirators, and goggles in enclosed areas such as attics when cleaning. Do not attempt to sweep or vacuum up rodent feces without first spraying it with a cleaning solution as the dust can easily become airborne and make you sick if inhaled.

While a rat problem can be very alarming, it is actually quite manageable when following a few simple steps. Preventing new infestations in your homes, offices, farms, restaurants, and other personal spaces can be done by keeping food sources and garbage always locked up and nesting habitats sealed off. And periodically set out snap traps using the Bait Cage Kit for Rat Traps to proactively eliminate any future problems.

Click HERE to order the Bait Cage Kit for Rat Traps