The rat control process is not very complex – it’s the putting it into practice that is difficult. In fact, the process consists of only three main steps, which are as straightforward as it gets. Let’s take a look:
- Seal holes in the exterior walls that are larger in diameter than a dime
First things first. If you get rid of an infestation, but you do not deny the rats entryways into the home, the infestation will keep recurring until you do. As such it’s important to start by plugging or sealing any holes in the exterior walls that are larger than a dime or half of an inch in diameter. Make sure that you do this at the upper levels of the home as well, because rats are excellent climbers and acrobats.
- Use traps or bait stations to protect the outside of the home
If you live in a neighborhood where there is a rat population, you can further reduce the odds of an infestation by setting up traps and bait stations around the home at a 25 to 50 feet interval. This is something that commercial buildings such as restaurants, bakeries and food facilities are required to do by law, and it can be quite effective. However, make sure that the traps and stations you use are designed to exclusively target rats, otherwise you might risk putting your pets and other animals in danger.
- Use traps or bait stations inside the home
Finally, you want to take care of the rats inside the home itself. For this, you can also use traps and bait stations, but you generally want to stay away from poisons, because the rats may die in hard to reach areas, such as inside the walls, and start decomposing.
And that’s pretty much it, but like we’ve mentioned previously, the big issue is not the plan itself, but putting the plan into action. Even when using traps, you need to place them in the right locations, allow the rats to feel comfortable with the traps before baiting them, and you also need to know when you need to check the traps. Luckily, we’ve written guides about this on our blog, and you can find plenty of resources online. Still, if you do have issues, you can contact us with any questions you may have, or you can get in touch with us to set up a rat control appointment.