Do it Yourself Rat Control

Learn to Recognize Signs of Rat Infestation

• Droppings or evidence of gnawing are clear signs of infestation. You may also notice burrows next to your home or under debris in the yard.
  
  

Remove Clutter Outdoors

• Removing clutter from around the perimeter of your home is essential if you want to keep rats from making their way inside. Do not allow refuse, grass trimmings, leaves and materials like wood or any unused items to accumulate around the outside of your home.
  
  

Seal All Openings

• Any openings measuring ¼ of an inch or larger should be sealed to keep rats out of your home. Openings that allow utility conduits access into your property need to be sealed with metal or concrete. Make sure any floor drains or sewage pipes have tight fitting openings that are less than ¼ of an inch in diameter. All doors, windows and screens should fit tightly. You may need to cover the edges with sheet metal to prevent gnawing.
  
  

Practice Proper Sanitation

• Poor housekeeping habits can encourage rat infestation. The best do it yourself rat control is to practice good sanitation methods consistently inside and outside of your home. Clean regularly and practice the proper handling, storage and cleanup when it comes to food. Any place where food is stored should be rodent-proofed. Make sure to always store bulk food including bird seed and dry pet food in metal cans with tight, fitted lids. Also, properly dispose of garbage and other refuse. Rats often show up in homes with pets because they can share the pet food. Good sanitation habits around the home make it harder for rats to thrive.
  
  

Set Traps

• You can purchase your own traps from grocery stores, home improvement stores and several other locations. Setting your own traps for do it yourself rat control is very effective. Many people prefer traps because they don't use harmful chemicals, it's easy to tell if the rat is dead and disposal is easy.
  
  Snap traps are inexpensive and easy to use. Just bait the trap with peanut butter, a small piece of meat or candy securely on the trigger. Place the traps against walls, behind objects, in dark corners and any other place that you have seen evidence of rats.
  
  Glue boards are also effective. Placing them together side-by-side works better than relying on just one board. Strategically place them around the house just as you would snap traps, but be mindful of small children and pets. If the traps become dusty, they are not as effective.
  
  Poison baits should be used with extreme care, especially if you have pets or children.