Aren’t rats such a nuisance? Spotting a rat in your home can be the most revolting thing you experience. Your haven that’s supposed to be safe and secure being invaded by unwanted pests that are not just disruptive but destructive as well, is simply not acceptable.
With their sharp teeth, these rodents can gnaw through anything, their clawed feet can scramble up almost any surface, and their tails leaving havoc in their wake. Rats infiltrate even clean, and well-built homes, then leave behind damaged property and diseases. For these reasons, they need to be exterminated and fast.
Once you spot a rat in your home, the first thing that comes to mind is how to get rid of rats in the quickest way possible. A rat problem is nothing to mess around with. The most common rats associated with infestations around homes and businesses are roof rats and Norway rats. This post has the answer on how to get rid of rats in house fast.
First Things First: No Poisons
We understand how you feel, and we know you may think poisoning the little suckers is the way to go, but we assure you, it’s not. The thing is, unless you are using professional-grade desiccating poison, a rat’s rotting body will not only produce a disgusting stench, but it may be a food source for maggots and other rats.
Given that rats have larger bodies compared to mice, the smell may release particulates that could make you and your family members sick. Imagine the nightmare of having a dead rat stuck in a ceiling you cannot access!
Besides all this, poisoned baits are highly lethal. It can make adults sick and may even kill children and pets. You can never be too careful with poison, so let’s rule that one out early.
Find out Why and How They Are Getting In
Before we address how to get rid of rats in house fast, let’s look at how they came. Rats are social creatures and live in large families. They reproduce very rapidly, and killing the one that you spotted, even if you do it fast, will not solve the problem. Prevention should be the first order of business before you get to extermination.
Understand that even though rats are opportunists, they are shy and prefer to stay away from humans. They prefer to live in the dark sewers feeding on waste, and they can easily swim up to your toilet.
If you spot them, there is undoubtedly a correlation between their appearance and an external influence. Something is pushing them into your home, and you must rectify that issue first.
Some of these external influences may include proximity to empty buildings that may serve as the perfect habitat, waste products that serve as a food source, or flooding drains beneath your home.
Rats only hang around places they can find food, water, and breeding ground, so find out which of these are around you. You also need to locate the routes into your home, such as cracked pipes or broken air bricks, then seal them up and shut the rats out.
So What Kills Rats Instantly?
Fortunately, there are effective methods you can use to get rid of a rat infestation. These mostly include trapping.
Traps
Traps are still some of the fastest and most effective methods of getting rid of rats. However, you need to be wise, strategic, and cautious about it. The trick here is to use a large number of traps that are specifically designed for rats and not mice. Mouse traps are too small and hence ineffective.
The traps should be placed in the most infested area, and any places rats are likely to frequent. These could be in dark corners, the attic, behind large appliances, and any place you see rat droppings. Baiting traps with peanut butter or pet food may help attract rats to the trap. There are several types of rat traps, including:
Snap Traps
These are the best-known traps, and getting rid of rats has never been easier. They come in two different categories. The first is the traditional wooden trap that uses a spring-loaded bar to snap down on a rat, which kills it instantly. The second is a newer plastic trap that features a set of sharp jaws that kill the rat instantly once triggered and snap shut.
Live Traps
These don’t kill the rat per se because they trap it inside. Once the rat triggers the trap by removing the bait, it’s captured, and you can kill it using a different method, hence the name live trap.
Glue Traps
Glue traps are almost similar to live traps in that even though they catch the rat instantly; they don’t kill it instantly. Glue traps consist of wooden or plastic platforms that are coated with glue. They are designed to be laid out in places where rats are known to frequent such as basements and pantries.
The minute rats step onto the glue, that’s it for them. You can then pick up the traps and throw them away. The downside of glue traps is that you can only use them once.
Electric Traps
If you are looking for a fast method, then these are very effective. If you are looking for a humane approach, well, not so much. These traps are designed like cages, and they bait rats to enter inside. The traps detect a rat immediately and send a lethal electric shock that instantly kills the rat.
When Do You Call In the Professionals?
If your efforts don’t bear fruit or the colony is too large for you to handle, you may need to call in the professionals. Professional rat control services will utilize the best rat control practices in ridding your home of the vermin. Pay close attention to their advice, especially if you have noticed that the rats are already causing illnesses in your home.
Bottom Line on How to Get Rid Of Rats in House Fast
Your question was how to get rid of rats in house fast and these are the top methods. If, however, you don’t have pets and kids and feel that you can handle poison well, you may go ahead and use baits. Use bait stations for extra precaution.
After this, block rats out of your home by removing all weeds and debris from your compound, fixing broken roof and siding, and seal all other crevices that serve as an entry. For more informative pieces about pests, kindly check out our website.
Do you have an infestation of mice instead of rats? Please visit our blog post on catching mice at:
https://synergy2ms.com/how-to-catch-a-mouse-the-best-way-to-get-rid-of-mice-in-your-home/
Looking for more information on rodent control? Check out the following sites:
https://www.doyourownpestcontrol.com/rats.htm
https://www.domyown.com/how-to-get-rid-of-rats-a-525.html
http://ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74106.html
https://synergy2ms.com/what-makes-the-best-mouse-trap-bait-how-to-catch-a-mouse-fast/
If you need pest control services for your home or business please visit our site at https://synergy2ms.com. Feel free to read more about us and decide if Synergy² is the right company for you. We have over 270 Five-Star Google reviews for pest control service in the Jackson metro area (Jackson/Madison/Brandon/Ridgeland). Check out our newest location reviews for pest control service in Jackson, MS here!