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Rats : How to Get Rid of Rats

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RECOMMENDATIONS : HOW TO GET RID OF RATS

NORWAY RATS | ROOF RATS | RAT CONTROL PRODUCTS | MORE RODENT CONTROL PRODUCTS

Norway Rats

Click on image to enlarge

The Norway rat is larger and more aggressive than the Roof Rat.

APPEARANCE:

As an adult the Norway Rat can weigh between 12-16 oz. with a body length of 6-8 inches long. The nose is blunt with small ears, and small eyes. The fur is shaggy and coarse with variation in colors. The tail is shorter than the head and body combined, and scaly.

NORWAY RAT INSPECTION

The droppings are 1/4 to 1/2 inch in length, capsule shaped, with blunt ends. They are usually a shiny black, but may vary according to their diets.

Norway rats and Roof Rats will leave a hind foot track of about 3/4-1 inch where a mouse's track measure's 3/8 of an inch or less.

Rats will also drag their tails, leaving a mark between their feet tracks. Unscented baby powder or flour, lightly sprinkled can help you determine tracks and their runways as they cross suspected areas.

Gnawing holes from rats are about 2 inches or more in diameter. They have rough edges. They prefer to gnaw on wood, but can damage electrical wiring.

Rat burrows can be found along foundations, or beneath rubbish and shubbery. If the burrow is active it usually clear of vegetation. Rat runways are smooth and well packed. Indoors, these runways are free of dust and dirt.

To see a picture of tracks and droppings-click here

Urine Tracker LED Flashlight to help detect presence of rodent urine for easier inspection.

DIET:

They prefer foods with a high protein or carbohydrate content, but will eat almost any type of food. They need water to survive, unlike mice.

HABITS AND BIOLOGY:

The young rats reach sexual maturity in 2-3 months, females average 4-7litters a year, with 8-12 pups per litter. Adults live about a year. They live in colonies. The Norway rat generally prefers to live in underground tunnels. On farms, they will be near a food source: barns, granaries, livestock buildings, and silos. In the cities, they will be in the ground in their is available space, but have been known live entirely inside buildings. Rats will seek food outside, but many times will come inside at night to forage for food and return to their burrows. Needing a water source, they can obtain water from toilets, sinks, rain puddles, or condensation from utility pipes. Their nesting burrows on the outside are often along the foundation of walls. As the rat family grows, more burrows are built, resulting in a network of underground tunnels.

Inside, the Norway Rat commonly nest on the lower levels, but if the population is too large, they may be found in the attic and ceiling areas.

Their nests are built from soft material like paper or grass chewed into small pieces. Rats will climb if necessary to enter a building, the Norway Rat is an excellent swimmer.

Norway Rats are suspicious of changes in the environment or new foods, for this reason it may take a couple of days for traps or poison baits to take. Rats are nocturnal, with their peak activity at dusk or before dawn. When the population is large or they are disturbed or hungry, you can see activity during the day.

CLICK HERE: RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS AND TREATMENTS FOR NORWAY RATS : BAITING AND TRAPPING

ROOF RATS

Click on image to enlarge.

APPEARANCE:

The Roof Rat is smaller and more slender than the bigger Norway Rat.

The adults weigh about 5-9 ounces,7-10 inches long. The tail is longer than the head and body combined. They have large ears and a pointed nose. The fur is smooth, as opposed to the Norway rat with it's shaggy fur.

ROOF RAT INSPECTION

Refer to the section on Rodent inspection.

Much would be the same except the droppings are spindle shaped instead of capsule shaped and the droppings reach about 1/4 inch in size.

The tail markings and hind feet markings are the same.

Runways for Roof Rats are difficult to determine.

To see a picture of tracks and droppings-click here

Twin Task UV Light to help detect presence of rodent urine for easier inspection.

DIET:

They prefer seeds, nuts, fresh vegetables and fruits, but will eat meat and grain products.

HABITS AND BIOLOGY:

They become sexually mature in 2-3 months, with 4-6 litters per year, 4-8 pups per litter.

The Roof Rat is a climber, commonly nesting in areas above the ground: trees, vines, attics, ceiling voids, or in voids along the roof line. These rats enter your home much like squirrels. As their population grows they will nest in underground burrows.

Roof rats are suspicious of changes in the environment or new foods, for this reason it may take a couple of days for traps or poison baits to take. Rats are nocturnal, with their peak activity at dusk or before dawn. When the population is large or they are disturbed or hungry, you can see activity during the day.

CLICK HERE: RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS AND TREATMENTS FOR ROOF RATS : BAITING AND TRAPPING

How to Get Rid of Norway and Roof Rats : Trapping and Baiting

After an inspection of the rat activity, control or elimination is done by trapping or baiting.

Ideally rodentproofing or General rodent exclusion exclusion is your best recommendation, making it impossible to gain entry into your homes or structures

It may be impossible to exclude all mice,since even a adult mouse can pass through openings 3/8 " wide.

Generally all openings greater that 1/4" should be sealed to exclude mice. For rats, all openings greater that 1/2" should be sealed.

Please read section on Sanitation, as it is the first consideration in rodent control.

I. TRAPPING: Non Chemical Control

There are several advantages for using traps:

1. Safer than potential hazardous poison baits

2. Quick, immediate results

3. Easy disposal of dead rodents avoiding odor problems that will occur if rodenticides kill rodents in inaccessible areas.

Types of traps: Snap Traps, Glue Traps and Live Traps

SNAP TRAPS RAT SIZE AND MICE SIZE

Rats are often shy of new objects and placing unset traps in a new location for a week or two will increase the opportunities of catching. This will acclimate the rats to the traps, once acclimated, set enough traps to kill the a large percentage of the population before the rodents become "trap shy." This is called mass trapping, trapping them at a higher rate than they can repopulate and become shy of the trap.
There may be a need to have as many as 2-3 dozen rat traps set in place in a commercial establishment, in an infested trash room for example. By having these traps baited with a Rat/Squirrel lure or peanut butter unset, a large population would be use to feeding on around the traps. When the traps are then simultaneously set after a while of this "feeding", a large kill can be obtained.
The spring on the rat snap trap is very strong,(it could break a finger) so keep it out of reach of your pets and small children. An alternate solution would be using the Trapper T Snap Traps with a protective bait station. The T Rex traps are designed to fit perfectly in the protecta bait stations.

The Trapper T Rex Trap for both rats and mice(two different sizes) will fit in the protecta bait stations to help keep non targeted animals and children away from the traps.

T REX TRAPPER KIT-PERFECT COMBINATION OF LIVE TRAPS AND THE EASY TO USE T REX TRAPS FOR RATS (MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR RATS)

MULTIPLE MICE CATCH TRAPS - (MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR MICE)

GLUE BOARDSMICE SIZE AND RAT SIZE

LIVE ANIMAL CATCH TRAPS - FOR RATS, FLYING SQUIRRELS, CHIPMUNKS
SQUIRREL CONTROL : TRAPPING

Human or dead-rodent odors on traps do not cause a reduction in trapping the population, but the odors of the natural predators, such as dogs or cats can cause an aversion to the traps.
Do not touch pets, prior to handling the traps.
Avoid handling dead rodents with bare hands to prevent contact with ectoparasites or diseased animals.
Avoid storing glue traps in vehicles during warm weather without placing them in a cooler.

II. RODENTICIDES :CHEMICAL CONTROL

RODENTICIDES AND RODENT BAIT STATIONS

Rat Baiting Tips

Rodenticides are poison baits and should be used in areas where domestic animals and children can't reach. However there are resistant -tamper bait stations that hold the baits in place and keep children and pets out. It is a national law and guideline to use resistant-tamper proof bait stations in areas where children or pets could access.

We carry single feeding bait(requires just one feeding for a lethal dose.

The baits come in seed, pellets, liquid or block forms.

All Protecta Tamper Proof Rat Bait Stations | Rodent Control Information | Rodent Control Bait

Top Loader Bait Stations-
Unique design to fit in trees, ledges, ect.

Baiting Tips for Norway and Roof Rats

Some of the general tips for baiting mice also apply for baiting techniques for rat control.

Some extra tips include:

Eliminate the rat's natural food source as much as possible. It is much easier to introduce rat bait to the population with less food choices.
Space baits between 15 and 50 feet apart for rats( mice bait placements are much closer).
As with mice bait placement techniques use closer spacing of bait placements in a heavy infestation, placing bait between their harboraging areas and food sources.

It is very helpful to use rat size bait stations to encourage feeding. They provide the rat with an attractive , protective feeding area.
Once these bait stations are placed, avoid moving them. Some rats have a reaction against moved objects.
Of course after a time, and the rats are not taking the bait , it would warrant moving the station.
Rats consume much more bait than mice. Each rat may consume 1 ounce or more nightly. Keep plenty of bait available to refill the bait stations.
In damp conditions use weather resistant blox/block forms.
If necessary tie down the bait in order to prevent them from washing away.

Roof Rats : Further Baiting Tips

All the information above apply to Roof Rats as well with some additional tips because roof rats may be active above ground level as well.
Always try to place baits between there harboraging areas and all food sources.

Place bait above ground, such as the rafters and garages, fence rails, trees, telephone phones, etc. They should be tied securely so non targeted animals and children may not access them.
Roof rats may travel quite a distance to access food. In residential areas for example, roof rats may travel from harboring areas in trees to feed in garbage cans, pet dishes , etc.
Inspect dense cover areas, because roof rats like to rest and feed in these areas.
These are areas that you will want to place your bait or traps.
Roof rats like to feed on smaller amounts and various locations than the bigger sized Norway Rat.
Provide more areas for feeding.
You can use PVC pipes(2 inches in diameter) as bait stations to bait on narrow ledges and overhead areas.
Bait blocks should be wired, and the PVC pipe affixed to the areas.

Contrac Pellets in packs	Contrac Blox
Fastrac Blox	Fastrac Pellets Packs/Bulk
Final Pellets Bulk and Blox Forms
Click Here For More Rodent Baits : Rodenticides and Bait Stations