Methods of Controlling Rats

Rat infestation is becoming a serious problem in all parts of the globe. These rats bring along with them a lot of germs and infection. Having rats in the house can be dangerous for the health of everyone in the house. The destruction they cause is not restricted to making the food in the house contaminated, they also move all around the house damaging household articles and in some cases gadgets. There have been cases of fire in households where the rats manage to damage the electrical ducts. To prevent yourself from being the victim if all these unpleasant happenings, it is best to have rat extermination solutions handy.

Unfortunately in today's times, where we don't have a bagpiper, we have to know how to get rid of rats ourselves. Houses that produce a lot of organic garbage are the first ones to attract these rats. Once the rats find access to your house, they build their homes in the tiniest corners of your house where they cannot be spotted. The common places where rats hide are behind your cupboards and in storage boxes which are not used on a daily basis.

Rats generally hide in remote places of your house where they can live in peace. All the undone and open edges of your house are the first places to attract rats. One should try and make sure that there are no such open arenas in the household. Also, the gaps between counters and shelves should be sealed so that rats cannot hide in there. Rats are experts at jumping and climbing.

If you are fond of greenery, plant trees at a distance from your house or these trees will end up helping the rats to get into your house. The garbage bins in the house should be ideally made of metal and should have tight lids which leave no cope for rats to enter them. These bins should be kept at a distance from the house.

Rat poisons have been used for rat control for a long time now. These are available easily in the markets in the form of cakes which are to be placed in areas frequented by the rats. Once the rat consumes this cake, the rat poison kills the rat. However, this use of rat poison has its own drawbacks. Firstly, rat poison should not be used in houses where young children live. If these children happen to eat the rat poison, it can be hazardous to their health. Secondly, the rats who get killed by eating rat poison tend to land up is hard to reach places. The presence of a dead rat in the house produces unbearable stench and needless to say, all kinds of infections.

There are rat trap methods which are by far the safest and most effective ways of rat control. These traps are inexpensive and simple ways to catch the rats that create a nuisance in your homes. The traps are made of wood and are also known as "snap traps."

A snap trap can be found in any hardware store and once bought, it can last a lifetime. The trap has to be baited with a piece of bread or a fruit or any other food item that will help in attracting the rat to the trap. Once the food is put in the trap, the trap has to be kept in an area which is infested by rats. As soon as the rat tries to get hold of the food attached to the trap, it gets trapped.

The rat stuck in the trap can possibly be half dead in the trap by the time you find it there. In such cases, it is best to hit the rat hard with a hammer and kill it immediately rather than leaving it to die slowly. Handling a dead rat is a very tricky business. Wrap the dead rat with a plastic before you decide to dispose it. Also, don't forget to wear gloves while you handle the dead rat in order to protect yourself from disease of any sort. Once you have finished eliminating the rat, wash your hands with disinfectant soap.