How to Kill Wildlife - 4 Ways to Solve Rat Infestation

4 Ways to Solve Rat Infestation

Rat infestation is as common a problem as bugs and termite infestation. For what it’s worth, having a house infested with rats can pose various health threats ranging from simple skin problems to deathly diseases. There are many ways to solve the problem of rat infestation. People are still debating whether which method is humane and the most effective. Below are some of the methods that people practice to solve rodent problems. Let’s see which ones are better. But, before that, it is important to know where these rats come from and why they are needed to be extinguished.



The Causes of Rat Infestation
Rats don’t just come inside your home randomly. Often times, they are triggered by situations that are actually caused by homeowners. Letting mess and trash sit around the house without cleaning is one of the most common trigger why rats love to visit your homes. Rodents are famous for gnawing on food chunks so having them around your house will actually invite these pests. Another reason would be the moist environment of some parts of your house. Most people find rats under their sink or near water pipelines. This is because rats tend to live in moist environment. So if you have a faulty pipeline, chances are, rodents will chew their way to live there.

The Effects of Rat Infestation
Finding your home infested with rats is a real headache. One, when rats are present in your house, they will chew on everything they see. You’ll find gnawed furniture, clothes, and food supplies. Additionally, you are in danger of catching rat-borne diseases. Some of these diseases are so lethal that it can cause deaths. Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, leptospirosis, rat-bite fever, and salmonellosis are just some of these diseases that can post danger to you and your family when rat infestation comes to worst.

Method 1: Lethal Removal
This method is more like the traditional and natural one. The goal of this method is to exterminate rats as fast as possible and killing them so there is no chance of them coming back. The most common in this method is getting a cat. Cats have great senses and they are hunters. They are also natural predators of rodents, as you may have seen in movies and cartoons. Since cats are predators, having them hunt rats won’t actually feel like killing them. It’s just meddling a little with the food chain. Another type of lethal removal is the use of glue boards. There are special products like glue that are made to kill rats. You can set up glue boards in places where rats frequent. What makes this lethal is that the glue that traps rats is so strong that they aren’t able to get out from it. Some rats will chew off their feet and legs to escape. Other rats will get their head stuck in the glue board and suffocate to death. It’s quite harsh but it is an effective way to get rid of rats.

Method 2: Infestation Prevention
Prevention is always better than cure. Before a rat infestation even starts to happen. It is important to practice ways so that you don’t invite rodents inside your house. Always clean your house and throw away your trash in a sealed container. Leftover food should be thrown away outside and disposed far from your house to avoid giving rats a reason to get near your house. If you find any potential entry points for rats to your home, seal them. Cover holes with wood or other durable material. Make sure you completely cover them because rats can actually fit their way inside a very tiny hole.

Method 3: Humane Ways As Much As Possible
This method allows you to control rats without actually killing them. The most common way is to set up a live animal trap cage so rats are trapped alive. You can then release them outside. This is especially effective for mild rat infestation. However, for severe rodent problems, other methods might work more.

Method 4: Call for Professional Help
Sometimes, this problem can go out of hand and you are forced to sort to professionals. These professionals are trained in specific so they completely exterminate rats inside your house effectively. Call a local exterminator and cooperate accordingly if they ask questions or instruct you to do something.

Killing vs. Repelling
Choosing a method to solve rat problems can be very hard. You first need to know how sever the problem is and you need to ask yourself if you can stomach the things you are about to do just to get rid of them. As we’ve said, prevention is always better than cure. For you not to resort to inhumane methods, try prevention methods to keep away rats from entering your house the first time. If you follow this method, you will never give these rodents a chance to hurt you and in return, you will not be forced to hurt them.

Go back to the How to Kill Rats page.

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