How to catch rats in the house
Have you ever left food like a loaf of bread on the table and the next morning, you find that the plastic is torn and a part of a slice of bread has been eaten?
Or it seems like somebody has taken a bite of an apple or any edible thing left uncovered?
Or the telephone wire or cable show signs of being bitten, causing the appliances to stop working?
Well, it means you have unwanted guest(s) in the house!
Here are tips to get rid of these critters that are a nuisance and a health hazard:-
#1 You can forget about putting natural human repellants which are harmless to humans.
These include pandanus leaves, peppermint, vinegar and whatnot. Their virtues are extolled in any internet search but they don’t really work. Now how on earth will you know that? Well, when their droppings can be seen besides these home remedies that you have placed on the floor, it is proven that they are ineffective.
#2 Even if you seal up all holes or openings in the house, they will still be able to squeeze through and have a whale of a time in your homes.
If you are lucky, sometimes you can catch a glimpse of them whizzing past at supersonic speed.
#3 Rat glue traps can work sometimes on the small and inexperienced ones.
This method is easy and fuss-free. You just place the cardboard that comes with glue on the floor near the door or any opening that you figure the rat will enter your house and voila! The next morning you will see it struggling helplessly to break free. Then you just use a long stick to press one side of the cardboard on the pest and dispose of the whole thing. If it is still strong enough to keep struggling, just give use the stick to give it a few knocks and that will put it out of its misery. However most of the time you will see the outline of the rat getting stuck and freeing itself. The bigger and stronger ones are capable of freeing themselves. The smarter ones will even take another route and bypass the glue trap.
#4 Rat poison is not recommended because it is possible the rats will die in any nook and corner of your house and leave a terrible stench. If it is hard to reach the area, it will be difficult to get the carcass out and you have to put up with the odour and toxicity of the dead rat. Furthermore, you must keep the poison in a safe place away from children’s reach as you cannot afford to be complacent.
#5 The best is still the tried and tested mouse trap cage.
First of all, you have to imagine their nocturnal habits and favourite hangouts. Pinpoint the place where you usually find their droppings and just before it’s dark, PUT a nice bait like a piece of meat from your leftover dinner. Just make sure the food is attached securely to the hook and the trap door is in working condition. If not, you will find yourself feeding a new pet as it will take the food and coolly scurry off. Having done that, put the cage in said place which is usually a dark corner in the kitchen and don’t switch on the light. It is highly probable there will be a good catch the following morning. You can then bring the cage outside and a few hours in the hot sun will end its miserable life. Otherwise boiling water will do the trick. If you think this is inhumane, then just release it in the wild so that it can make a return to your homes. Worse, it will breed and the whole big family will have a big feast at your expense. If you like the hang of it, then continue with baiting it for the next few days. You might have another catch soon. But if there is none, you can thank your lucky stars there are no more loitering around at the moment or they have smelled a rat (literally) and outmanoeuvred you!
Anyway say a prayer and give this a try because you never know how many you can get rid of from your house. Good luck!
Image source (R): Image
Image source (L): Image
