Good evening buddycharlie and thank you for your question!
Personally, I wouldn?t recommend poisoning rats because if the rat
eats the poison, then crawls back into the wall and dies, you have a
dead animal in a hard to reach place and the smell could become worse
than the rat problem itself. According to www.ehow.com, if you are
going to use a natural rodent poison, look for brands of rodent bait
made with vitamin D3. Rats and mice eating a small amount of this
vitamin suffer heart failure within days. There is no chance of
secondary poisoning of your pets even if they find and eat the dead
rodents.
I would, however, recommend a trap commonly referred to as a ?snap
trap?. These are the cheap traps you find at any hardware store.
Simply bait it with pieces of apple, potato, raw bacon or with peanut
butter spread on a cotton ball (peanut butter seams to be the most
popular choice amongst rats.) Rats can smell the "human smell" and
will avoid the traps so always use gloves when handling the traps.
Attach it firmly to the ground or solid place near where you have
found the droppings. Attaching it to the ground keeps the rat from
dragging the trap away and dying elsewhere. Make sure the trap is safe
from people, children, pets or animals who could get hurt from it.
Rats tend to be aware of their environment and will be shy of new
things. If you place a trap, don't be surprised it there is no
activity for a few days. Some experts recommend baiting and placing a
trap but leaving it unset. The rat will be attracted to the bait and
will investigate. If contact with the trap does not result in a
negative experience, the rat will become bolder and eventually take
the bait.
Rats also tend to travel along edges, such as along baseboards. They
are less likely to cross a room than to run around the perimeter of
it. Therefore it is best to place the traps along the routes they
travel. To identify their paths, look for rodent droppings or dark
grimy markings where their fur rubs against walls and furniture.
Glue traps are also popular nowadays, however you may need to
experiment with types and size. Glue traps (or sticky traps) are
pieces of cardboard or wood coated with very sticky glue. When rodents
are trapped there, their fur, legs, and muscles become stuck to the
board, and they usually suffocate to death.
Once you have killed the rat, wrap it in newspaper, or placed in a
plastic bag before putting it in a tightly covered garbage can.
Injured or sick rats must be killed, then wrapped and put in the
garbage can. Try not to touch the dead rat.
Cats, dogs, and ferrets can be used to control a home infestation.
Cats will instinctively attack rodents.
If you are looking at a more humane way to get rid of the rats, I
would suggest a trap called the 'tin cat'. It is a box made of
galvanized steel and has a little one-way door at one end. Put a piece
of food in it to attract the rats. They will enter it but not be able
to escape. It is recommended that you release the rat a few miles
away from your house.
This is what a tin cat looks like:
( http://www.biconet.com/traps/tincat.html )
Some tips for keeping the rats away from your house:
Clean up any spilt food or substance pest might consider as food and
store food in airtight resealable containers.
Make sure you don?t have any plumbing leaks. Look under sinks and
around toilets. Also, check for sweating pipes that may be providing
a water supply to the pest. These sweating pipes may need to be
wrapped.
Plug up any hole or crack you find where a pest can inter your home.
Make sure doors and windows seal. Additionally, rats can get into
your house from tree branches that hang over the roof. Keep trees cut
back and cover any openings in the eves.
Birdhouses and seed should be on poles and in trays rats can't get.
Keep garbage can lids closed tightly.
Keep yards and alleys clean.
Pick up fruit and vegetables in your yard.
Do not compost any animal products (fish, meat, chicken, cheese,
butter). Keep lids tight.
Do not leave your pet food outside. If your pet doesn't eat it, the rats will.
I hope this answers your question. If you would like clarification
before rating my answer, please do not hesitate to ask!
Nenna-GA
Google Researcher
Sources:
So You Wanna.com
( http://www.soyouwanna.com/site/syws/pests/pests.html )
Acme How To
( http://www.acmehowto.com/howto/pest/rats.php )
( http://www.metrokc.gov/health/env_hlth/rats.htm )
Google Search Term:
How to get rid of rats
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