"Ratatouille" was a darling little movie about a rat who longed to be a chef. The message was great. Dare to be different and go for what you never thought you could accomplish. But a wild rat making a home in a restaurant or any other establishment, including a house is bad news folks. Growing up the daughter of a licensed exterminator, we never had infestation of any kind. My father knew the things to do to keep pests at bay and how to get rid of them when they came around. These tips were not whispered in my ear on my wedding day or even when we purchased our first home. They came in the form of a shout when the war for our home began.
Feed them and they will come. This applies to most vermin, especially the rat. Since rats are not particular, feeding them may be easier than you think, and providing a comfy home even simpler. Kids drop food in the strangest places, a piece of apple in the floor, then they step on it and squish it into the floor board crack. They drop a few cheerios into the heat vent. They shove half eaten pizza slices under their bed. You do the best you can to keep you house clean. However, how often do you really go digging in the vent for lost fruit loops or even know they are in there? Clean up all food messes as quickly as possible, especially under beds, in closets and in vents. Keep pet food stored in a plastic container with a tight lid. Do not overfill indoor waste baskets. Have enough outdoor trash cans to house all of your trash. Make sure they are in tact with no cracks or holes and have well-fitted lids. Rats are seasoned climbers and one tiny hole will become a passage way to food in no time.
Close it off. We did not purchase a shiny new house. Our home came with many kinks to work out. We had a crawl space with a shoddy ply board door absent a latch. We were missing half a concrete wall under our front porch. We had entryways everywhere inviting rodents in. Repair these problems immediately! Do it your self or hire someone else to crawl under your house and find the problems you cannot see from the outside. Barricade all access holes to your home with thick wood, metal or concrete if possible. Fill in and cover holes in concrete walls including steps and foundation.
Keep it dry. Mice and other vermin covet dark damp places. Our first sign of trouble came when our sump pump broke. We were unaware of this until the stagnant smell crept into our bathroom. By then, all kinds of creatures had taken up residence under our house. Fortunately for us our neighbors to the left of us owned cats who roamed freely staving off our rodent infestation. Repair leaks. Our kitchen sink leaked underneath very lightly. We postponed this repair only to find a small hole formed behind the water pipe from the moisture. This would ultimately allow the rodents under the house to move into the house.
The worst of infestation came when our neighbors' house burnt down in the middle of summer. Fortunately no one was harmed in the fire. Our neighbors of course moved along with their cats. All of a sudden we had a family of rats where there once was none, and they were greedy. They were also brave. I was sitting at the kitchen table one night when a small one crept out from under the sink, snatched a piece of dog food from the dog's dish, and scattered back under the sink. The next time I picked up the dog's food bag I found large hole. The smell of rat urine became overbearing to the point I could no longer cook or eat in my kitchen. We covered the hole they had been coming in through with a large plastic bowl. We sat there one night listening to them chewing it with such fervor we could hear it two rooms away.
Aside from the fact that rats are diseased creatures, they invade our private space. Under most circumstances, you are able to purchase mouse traps and other eliminators at various retail stores. These will generally be listed in the yellow pages under agriculture and farm equipment. Many hardware stores also carry these. There are also a multitude of online stores which offer instruction, advice and products. As with all sources online and local, make sure you find a product that is right for your situation.
Traps are one solution. These are primarily for indoor trapping. Traditional snap traps are to be placed every 2-3 feet. Glue traps can be placed in this same manner. These can pose a problem if you have pets or children that may have difficulty keeping their hands away from the traps. This can cause injury. If you place these in a crawl space and the trap works, you will have the stench of a decomposing rodent to endure for up to two weeks. If you have large rodents, the traps may not kill but merely wound, which leaves you with the task of destroying the rodent in another manner. There are stores that offer electronic traps and live catch traps. These can be costly and depending on the size of your vermin and may not be effective. Electronic traps claim to repel rodents by high frequency sound that only the rodent can hear. They plug directly into an outlet and cover up to 400 square feet. Live catch traps claim to close the rodent in and hold them for release. Since the electronic and live catch traps pose no immediate threat to any species, they may be an alternative if you have pets or children, or struggle with the idea of destroying the pests.
Poison, in my experience, is the most effective way to dispose of vermin inside and out. A licensed exterminator can apply a product called Talon every 12 to 15 feet in crawl spaces, basements and general areas where rats eat and drink and at entry points. This is an anticoagulant which rids the problem often with one treatment. The rodents will be drawn out into the open in search of hydration which limits their demise in crevices of your home. This is a poison and must be used with caution. Keep all pets and children away from this product.
Since the exterminator will apply Talon in inconspicuous places where neither humans nor pets go, this is rarely a problem. This poison does come in an enclosed packet to avoid contact with hands. For the do-it-yourself method there is a similar product available at the same stores which carry traps called Tomcat. You can apply this in the same manner as the exterminator applies Talon. Tomcat comes in bar form which must be broken up. Use caution when handling. Use gloves and wash your hands immediately after application.
There are other options available depending on your dilemma and how you wish to handle it. I prefer a licensed exterminator to the do-it-yourself method. The do-it-yourself method requires trial and era which often means great expense to achieve the desired effect. This also requires you to do the work and monitor the outcome. Again, this depends on the size of your problem. Whatever method you choose, make sure you know the facts, regulations and safety precautions. Good luck verminators!