How to Eliminate Rats

From one viewpoint, rats are either the champions or the villains of the animal world. With outstanding survival abilities and high intelligence, rats are able to endure harsh environments and even outsmart human efforts to eradicate them.

Domesticated rats are low-maintenance pets, bonding strongly with their owners and showing unique personalities. However, wild rats, such as the Norway and brown rats that infest many large cities, pose a serious public health risk.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, rats are capable of spreading numerous diseases globally. You could become ill from rats through direct bites (which occur around 15,000 times annually in the U.S.), or by coming into contact with their urine, feces, or saliva, leading to serious infections like salmonellosis, Hantavirus, leptospirosis, tularemia, lassa fever, or even plague. Worse still, if ticks, fleas, or mites feed on an infected rat and then bite you, you could contract diseases such as Colorado tick fever, Lyme disease, West Nile virus, typhus, and more.

Rat Abilities

Rats are notorious for sneaking through restaurants at night, searching for food, and spreading bacteria and droppings in repulsive ways. In rare cases, they'll even bite humans repeatedly if they feel threatened. Their teeth grow continuously at a rate of up to 5 inches (12.7 cm) per year, so rats chew on nearly anything to file them down—from cinder blocks to metal sheets to electrical wiring in homes and vehicles, causing extensive damage and potential fire risks.

Rats are skilled climbers; they can fit through holes the size of a U.S. quarter, survive falls from up to 50 feet (15 meters), and can swim for days without sinking. These traits make controlling their numbers extremely frustrating. For instance, in 2017, New York City—a well-known hub for these rodents—initiated a $32-million effort to combat rats. Despite these measures, rat populations continue to surge, partly due to climate change, which extends breeding seasons and allows female rats to give birth to more litters.

Mike Deutsch, a medical entomologist and the technical director at Arrow Exterminating Company in Lynbrook, New York, shares via email that rats announce their presence through "fecal droppings, urine stains, gnaw marks on materials, and the presence of both live and dead rodents within or around the structure. Rats leave oily stains on surfaces they frequent due to their greasy fur." Homeowners often notice changes in their pets' behavior as well, as dogs and cats may fixate on walls or show excitement when they detect rodents that humans can't hear or see.

According to Deutsch, there isn't a "quick fix" for dealing with rats. Exterminators follow a strategy called Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which involves considering mechanical, physical, cultural, and chemical control methods in their efforts to remove these unwanted pests. However, putting this into practice is far more challenging than it may sound.

"Dealing with rats is quite tough," says Deutsch. "To successfully eliminate them from a building, you need to understand their biology, behavior, and ecology." Rats thrive in human waste, especially in areas with high population density. This explains why cities, like New York, with abundant trash and aging, deteriorating buildings, are prime breeding grounds for rats.

Eliminating Rats

That being said, there are a few strategies you can use to combat the issue. The first step in preventing rats is to make their living space less appealing for feeding and nesting. Rats typically live no further than 400 feet (122 meters) from their primary food source. If you can limit their access to food, you're less likely to experience uninvited rat guests.

1. Eliminate All Food-related Waste Near Your Home

When putting out trash for collection, use containers that are resistant to rats, and keep all compost and garbage as far away from your house as possible. Store other food sources like birdseed, grass seed, and pet food in containers that rats can't access. Be sure to pick up and dispose of dog waste in your yard each day. Trim overgrown grass and remove wood piles and other debris around your property, as these items often make ideal homes for rats. Additionally, keep outdoor grilling areas clean and free of food scraps.

2. Prevent Rats from Entering Structures

This involves sealing any gaps and holes using appropriate materials such as heavy-duty screens or 1/4-inch (6-millimeter) hardware cloth. You can also use copper mesh, stuffing it into tight spaces where rats might be tempted to gnaw. Complete this process by applying foam insulation and caulk. Ensure that no tree branches or shrubs are touching your home, especially near roof lines, as rats can climb trees and access your structure from above.

3. Use Rat Traps

Non-lethal traps can be effective, but they present the challenge of releasing the rats into a new location, where they might cause problems for someone else. Rodenticides can also be used, but these poisons can take weeks to show any results, and they often end up killing other animals unintentionally.

Old-fashioned snap traps could be your best option. Available at most local hardware or big box stores, you can bait them with peanut butter. Contrary to popular belief, rats are not particularly fond of cheese and actually prefer peanut butter. Apply a small amount of peanut butter, about the size of a pea, to the trap. If your issue is in the kitchen, place several traps under the sink or near the walls. Rats tend to run along walls rather than in open spaces, so place the bait near the wall in a T-shape. If the problem is in the attic or basement, set traps where you've spotted rat droppings.

It may take several days to catch the rat, and you may need to adjust your approach multiple times to ensure success. If your efforts continue to fall short and the rats are causing significant problems, consider calling a professional for a more thorough solution.