Rat Elimination

There are four basic steps when eliminating a rat population:

In order for your rodent control program to be effective (as well as efficient) on a long term basis, all four basic steps should be implemented.

Inspection: There are ten signs that a professional should look for when conducting their initial (and follow-up) inspection: Droppings, tracks, gnaw marks, burrowing, runways, grease marks, urine stains, live or dead rodents, rodents sounds and rodent odors. A good inspection will give you a better idea of the size of the population and the routes taken by the rodents. As you will see in Population Reduction, you must intercept the rodents. Proper placements of baits, traps or live traps depend on your inspection!

Sanitation: In order for a large population of rodents to flourish, there has to be an abundance of food and water, as well as easy access to a cozy nesting site. By removing or reducing the factors that make any pest population abundant, you remove and reduce the pest. This is the backbone of Integrated Pest Management! Sanitation does imply that you live or work in a pig pen. Proper storage of possible rodent food, removal of undesirable vegetation (grass, weeds) and taking care of rubbish, lumber piles or old equipment are just a few examples of good sanitation practices. Homeowners must also realize that pet foods and wild bird feed are all tasty meals for rodents.  If rats have easy access to an abundance of dog food (especially at night when feeding is heaviest), they are less likely to be attracted to your rodenticides or baited traps.

Exclusion: Controlling rats and mice by making it impossible for them to enter structures is the best way to eliminate and control indoor populations. Although this is not always feasible, exclusion should not be ignored. It is not always possible to do extensive rodent proofing, but in many cases it can be accomplished with minimum effort. A building can be rodent proofed by eliminating all openings larger than 1/2 inch for rats and 1/4 for mice. Even after this is done, rodents can slip through open doors and windows, gain access along plumbing and other utility lines or (especially in the case of mice) be transported indoors with any merchandise. Exclusion also includes repairing doors and windows that do not operate properly or shut securely. Do not forget to inspect and repair air vents that may not be in sound working order.

Population Reduction: To quickly reduce the population of rats, traps and/or baits are used. In some situations, the use of toxic baits are not safe, legal or desired because of possible odors. When dealing with rats, we prefer a combination of traps and baits. Consider your building, children, pets, ability to deal with possible odors and dangers to none target animals when choosing products to eliminate your rat problem.  If dead rats are causing odor problems, go to Odor Elimination.

Non-chemical control
with the use of traps

Chemical control with the use of rodenticides

Chemical control with the use of repellents

Disclaimer

Rats