You may be surprised to know that rats often live in relatively close quarters to humans.. much closer than you think! Any basem*nt, crawl space, or attic at your property could be a place of safe harbor for a small rodent community :(
Other than being scary and ugly, rats carry many diseases and pose a health risk to your family, which is why we all want to get rid of them for good!
Luckily, there are several steps you can take to get rid of rats permanently, including; a complete interior and exterior inspection, sealing up holes, cracks, and gaps in your structure, removing readily available food sources, and minimising potential habitats around your home. You can also employ rat traps, using bait or poison, or call in the pros if all else fails.
In this article we will outline why rats infest a home and show you the most effective solutions to get rid of them so they don’t come back. For more rodent control tips and resources please visit our Ultimate Guide to Rat Control.
Table of Contents
Why We Get Rats Inside Our Home
There are many reasons why rats come inside your house. The primary reasons are for food, water, and shelter. Once comfortable and undisturbed in their new home, they begin to procreate.
People make the mistake of thinking that rats are solely feeding off the scraps in and around your home, but that’s not true. With Rats, the structure that they’re residing in is usually just the place of harborage. Whereas with mice your home, apartment, townhouse, it’s like an all inclusive resort, they are there all day!
Naturally rodents are attracted to open food sources and your garbage areas provide such a treat. We recommend keeping your garbage bins clean and organised as best you can.
Learn more about why we get rodents indoors.
Traps vs. Poison: What Should You Use
It’s important to know when to use Rodenticides and when to use Trapping stations.
It is possible to catch rats without killing them. Catch and release traps are very common as a home DIY solution and sufficient in some circ*mstances. The downside of the no-kill trap is that you have to dispose of them, which means travelling a few kilometres, usually over a body of water to release them into the nature. Rats have awesome internal homing beacons and have been known to travel up to 10km back to their dwelling, so don’t just release them the next block over. And if you have an infestation on your hands, you could be taking multiple trips to dispose of them. Not enjoyable for anyone!
While most people prefer the poison method, there are some snags to using rodenticides at home. First, they are recommended for indoor use, rodenticides should only be used outside of the home. Secondly, with pets and children around, it’s a big No No. You don’t want to risk poison falling into the wrong hands.
The third drawback is that rodenticides won’t actually force the rodent to leave the home. Rodenticides are anticoagulants which make you feel crappy, and what happens when animals, even humans feel unwell, we like to curl up in a ball and want to stay at home. So if you have rodents in your basem*nt, wall voids, crawlspace, they are going to stay close and you are likely to have a bigger problem of a deceased rat on your hands.
How to Get Rid of Rats Permanently
To get rid of rats from within your home permanently, there are multiple steps you will need to take.
1. Check for Signs of Entry
First we recommend that you check for signs of entry. A thorough inspection is crucial, we don’t want to miss any possible access points.
Once you’ve checked your attic, garage and crawl space for rodent traces, then we want to investigate the rest of your property for signs of entry.
Check up high, if you have a ladder. Rats are expert climbers and typically enter up high on a building’s structure. Tile roofs are also notorious for providing easy access into homes for rats and squirrels.
2. Seal and Secure all Entry Points
The focus is always on trying to find out how they’re getting in and out of the house. Fill any holes, gaps, and cracks you discover in the foundations, concrete, sidings, and under roof tiles etc. There are more than 30 points of ingress that you should be aware of.
there are many ways pests can enter the home
Rats and squirrels can fit a hole roughly the size of a quarter (23mm), while Mice can squeeze through a hole approx 6-8mm.
Once you’ve identified the points of ingress, you need to seal up these entryways. And we can do this using a bunch of different exclusion tools like wire mesh, metal flashing, caulking, and copper wool.
Use of a one-way door could be beneficial. Once you find the main access point on the outside at a house where they’re coming and going, you can install a one-way access door. So the rodent can exit the house, but can’t reenter again.
Did you know? Westside Pest Control exclusion materials come with a 5 year warranty. Chat with us to learn more about our warranties and guarantees.
3. Eliminate all Food Sources
Rats are resourceful creatures so don’t give them a chance at obtaining easy food sources. It’s essential to be diligent about ensuring no food sources are accessible to them inside or around your house. Secure your garbage lids properly at all times, and don’t leave leftover food lying around and prevent build up of crumbs on your floors.
If you have pets, you should clean and remove pet bowls overnight. Both mice and rats are attracted to cat and dog food. It’s not typically their food of choice, but they’ll take what nutrients they can to survive and thrive.
Outside of your home, if you’re using a bird feeder, get a higher quality one that is rodent-proof.
4. Remove Rat-Friendly Environments
A great way to get rid of rats permanently is to ensure that they don’t have a place to live inside and around your home. Debris such as woodpiles, dense vegetation, and unorganised piles of gardening items are typical urban habitats for rats.
Remove any debris from around your house and store woodpiles and lumber at least 18 inches above the ground. Trim dense vegetation, cut back tree branches, bushes or any foliage in contact with the structure.
5. Bait with Rodenticides
We already talked about when to use Traps versus Poison. Bait stations using rodenticides (rat poison) are effective ways to get rid of rats permanently.
To give yourself the best possible chance of catching a rat in the trap, keep the bait small and in the centre of the trap.
There are numerous problems associated with mixing poison with edible bait. For instance, if a rat gets away with the bait and drags it across the floor, the poison could potentially spread throughout your floor. This can be hazardous to exposed skin if you’re walking in the area bare foot.
Westside Pest Control does not recommend the use of rodenticides in a DIY situation. Best to consult an experienced rat control expert for best practices in using poison baits.
Warning: If you have pets and children at home, use poison baiting systems with extreme caution.
6. Install Multiple Traps
Trapping is probably the best alternative to rodenticides. Trapping stations are great for rodent control but they require a lot more devices (maybe a dozen or so) and requires regular maintenance which can be arduous for homeowners. There are many new advancements in trapping technology like Electronic Rat Traps, Zapper traps, and Co2 traps.
Set your traps strategically inside and outside the home alongside walls. Traps are most effective when placed against a wall at a 90-degree angle, with the trigger side placed closest to the wall.
Here’s an article that goes into great detail about the best traps available on the market.
Warning: If pets and children are at home, place traps firmly out of their reach.
What next?
Listen for scratching in the walls or ceiling after dusk. Reposition traps, change-up baits, and inspect entryways that you have sealed up.
Learn more about how to get rid of rats in our Ultimate Guide to Rat Control.
Out of ideas?
Call the Westside Rodent Control team for help. Our team has experience and resources to develop a rodent control solution appropriate for your home. We pride ourselves on our ability to get rid of rats permanently in the safest, most eco-friendly, and most effective way possible.
