STATEWIDE   TOLL   FREE

1-888-488-7720

HOW TO GET RID OF RATS

Contact us for professional Rat removal, control, and clean-up services. We also offer coaching services and products for a fee. If you're a do-it-yourselfer, check out the suggested techniques below.

    INFORMATION

  1. Why do we want to keep Rats Around?

    Rats are nothing but a nuisance and a load of trouble. They are known for their cunning ability to avoid being trapped and for their quick reproduction. The only good uses for rats are those that they have been bred and trained for. The giant rat, a native to Africa, is very timid and several have been trained to spot land mines. Lab rats are used in many experiments but have helped lead to some great medical miracles.

  2. Why do we get rid of Rats?
    Rats are filthy and can carry several deadly diseases like Leptospirosis, Cryptosporidiosis, Viral hemorrhagic fever, Q fever, and the Hantavirus. Besides the physical illnesses, many people also suffer from musophobia; a fear of mice or rats. Rats are quick, intelligent creatures who are easily able to avoid any attempts to trap them and, with their quick reproduction period, even if you catch and kill one it won't make too big of an impact. A rat infestation needs to be taken care of with a 100% kill rate if you don't want to have this same problem at the same size or larger in the near future. When cornered, rats can become aggressive and attack, risking the spread of disease. Rats have teeth that measure at a 5-5.5 on Mohs hardness scale meaning that they can easily chew threw cinderblock and brick and can even chew through plastic, lead, and aluminum. This allows them to easily make entrances into a structure; additionally, they can fit through holes as small as a quarter in diameter.

  3. Dead Rats

    Like all animals, rats die, rot, and stink. The problem can be that rats often nest in walls and other areas that are hard to reach. It can take a rat corpse anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to decompose. Any dead rats should be picked up with gloves and a plastic bag, and be taken to a burn plant to be properly incinerated to prevent the spread of any disease.
  4. Dead Rat removal on City or County Property

  5. If there is a rat problem in your area being caused by an infestation from city/county property, you may be able to refer us to the city/county so that they can hire us to remove the problem. If a rat is dead on city property like a road or other, contact city officials to have it removed. We do not remove dead rats off of city and/or county properties unless hired by the responsible officials to do so.
  6. PROBLEMS

    1. Rats are extremely intelligent and will evade most traps
    2. When administering poison to rats, they can eat it and die inside the home in an inaccessible area
    3. Rats can carry several deadly diseases
    4. When a rat infestation occurs inside of a structure, it can decrease the value of that structure 5-10%
  7. KILL OR KEEP ALIVE?
    Since rats repopulate so quickly (one female rat can birth as many as 2,000 babies in a year), release is scarcely practiced in their removal. Once a rat has been inside of an area, it can find and create several different ways to get back into their nest. If you do have a rat infestation, however, you will have to have a 100% kill rate to be able to stop the spread of the animals, otherwise they will only reproduce and fill the spot of one dead rat with 6 more live ones. Poisons can be a dangerous way to get rid of rats, the poison will not only kill the rats, but it could cause illness in small children and pets that come in contact with it. Rats who have been poisoned will often die inside of walls, attics, and crawlspaces making them hard to remove; if they don't die inside of the home, they will die outside where they are likely to be picked up by owls, snakes, weasels, etc. These animals can also be killed by poison the rat has ingested, putting them in danger and reducing the number of rat-eating animals in your area. Traps are the best method but need to be set wisely and in large quantities. It is best to have one of the professionals on our site help you if you are facing problems or are unexperienced in this area. Rats that are killed should be taken to a burn plant to be incinerated to prevent the spread of any disease.

    Steps to get rid of Rats:

    1. Why We Want to Keep Rats Out
    2. Rats contaminate structures, dig into areas where they are inaccessible, store things in their nests like squirrels do, they chew on wires and other amenities in the home, they leave holes for other animals to use in entering your home, and they carry many diseases that can be deadly. Having a rat infestation can put you and your family in danger. It can also decrease the value of any home or commercial structure by 5-10%.

    3. When to Get Rid of Rats
    4. As soon as you see even one rat inside of your home or office building it's time to take action. Within a month you could have up to 20 more running around.

    5. Getting Rid of Rats
    6. When getting rid of rats, its best to try trapping, poisons, blocking-out, controlling food sources (pet food, bird seed, open garbage’s and dumpsters, etc.), and repelling them. Rats are very smart and they will learn quickly what a trap is and does. If a friend is trapped, they'll know what will happen and will avoid any traps from there on out. It's best to mass trap many rats quickly so they can't learn what you're doing and how to avoid it. It's best to avoid poisons if possible. While they are deadly to rats they can also cause illness in young children and pets. Rats that have ingested poison will often die in inaccessible areas such as attics, walls, crawlspaces, etc. If a rat dies outside after eating poison, a predatory animal like owls, snakes, and weasels may then pick up the dead rat, and die from second hand poisoning.

    7. Places to Check for Rat Entrances
    8. This is difficult because rats can chew through most household materials and can fit through holes the size of a quarter or larger, though it is the best way to control infestation. You will have to search your house literally top to bottom, from roof to foundation, to locate any possible entryways. Rat holes are typically 1-3 inches in diameter.

    9. Blocking Rat's Entrances
    10. It's important to remember that if you block a rat's entrance, there is a possibility that it will die and rot inside of your home. It's best to get rid of all rats before blocking an entrance unless you know that they are gone. Carcass control is important, this happens by either live trapping or kill trapping of rats. This way you know how many rats have been trapped and can continue to do this until all are gone and entrances can be blocked off. Any tree line that comes within 6 feet of your roof or home should be trimmed back.

    11. How to Identify Rat Droppings
    12. Rat feces are usually dark brown/black and are about ¼ of an inch in size. They look similar to long, black rice.

    13. Information about Rat Droppings
    14. Rats poop about 10-30 times a day, these droppings can contain diseases and viruses like the Hantavirus, Rickettsia Virus, Eosinophilic Meningitis, Leptospirosis, and others.

    15. Cleaning up Rat Feces
    16. Protective masks, gloves, respirators, and body suits should be worn when cleaning up rat droppings to be safe from any disease that the feces could contain. Be sure to decontaminate any droppings with a bleach and water mixture.

    How to Get Rid of Mice and Rats During the Winter -Video

    How to Get Rid of Mice and Rats -Video

    HOW TO

    1. How to Get Rid of Rats in the Chimney

      This is hardly an issue, though occasionally rats will come down through a chimney and infest a home. This is another reason to have a well-made chimney cap fitted to your chimney. If rats come down through your chimney, kill it as soon as possible. Kill traps are the best idea, a rat that is cornered or feels that it is in danger may lash out and become aggressive.

    2. How to Get Rid of Rats in the House

      Rats in a house can get into virtually anything. They can break into food storage and pantries and contaminate food, they can get into closets and dressers and nest inside of clothing, and they can get into walls and chew through electric wires. It's best to get rid of rats inside of your home as soon as possible. First things first, you have to locate their entrance (and it could be the plumbing) and eliminate any food sources that they could have access to. Then use traps, live or kill, in mass quantities to catch and dispose of the animals. Remember, any dead animals should be taken to a burn plant to be incinerated.

    3. How to Get Rid of Rats in Walls

      Rats will often use walls and pipes in walls as pathways from place to place in the home, though sometimes they will fall into an area in the wall that they can't get out of. You need to locate where the rat got in so it can be sealed off, then you need to locate the rat. You may have to cut into the wall to remove or trap the animal, this is best done by one of the professionals on our site. You can kill a rat with trapping, or if you want you can use poison, though it is NOT recommended. If a rat dies in a structure, it's best if they die in a trap where the carcass can be removed and disposed of. Rats may get trapped, rot, and die somewhere you can’t access.

    4. How to Get Rid of Rats in the Vents of the House

      Rats will access homes through vents, cracks in the roof, eves, and small holes around piping. The rats need to be captured, killed, and/or exterminated; hopefully outside of the structure or somewhere where they can easily be removed. Poison is not recommended inside vents because when the air blows through, it can spread the poison through the house and make family members and little children sick. The entrance should be blocked off with high quality, metal materials.

    5. How to Get Rid of Rats on the Roof

      Rats are capable of climbing straight up brick, stucco, siding, and wood to get onto a roof. Just because a rat get onto a roof doesn't mean it's going to cause damage or a problem. However, rats can gain access to attics, vents, and walls from the roof so check for any possible entrances. Rats can also use telephone wires, cables, and tree branches that extend within 6 feet of your house to get onto a roof as well. Trees and bushes should be trimmed back. We do have a product available called 'Slick Sheet' that prevents animals from being able to climb up the side of a building.

    6. How to Get Rid of Rats under your Porch

      Rats come to porches because of the common access they give to pet food like cat food, dog food, and bird seed. This food source needs to be eliminated. Rats also come to porches for shelter, they like to burrow holes under vegetation and concrete or rocks and nest into dirt or root systems. This provides plenty of protection from predators. Traps should be set when dealing with rats under a porch, a poisoned rat will most likely die underneath the porch, in their nest, and out of your reach. You should also make sure to seal off any entrance a rat could have underneath your porch, they can get into walls, ceilings, and crawlspaces from here.

    7. How to Get Rid of Rats in the Barnyard/property

      The best way to get rid of rats on a property is to have a natural population of predatory animals like owls, snakes, and weasels. You can research ways to attract owls to your property to help with the rats there. Cats are also a good idea. Rats will take advantage of the surplus of food in a barnyard, traps can be set here to try and catch any stray rodents.

    8. How to Get Rid of Rats in Crawlspaces

      First, locate the entrance rats may have to a crawlspace. This may include areas near the foundation, underneath porches, and around pipes. Trapping and removal are the best options, poison should NOT be used inside of a crawlspace. It can be blown up and through the house and cause illness in family members and the rats may get into a structure and die there in an inaccessible area.

    9. How to Get Rats out of Garbage Cans, Dumpsters, and Window Wells
    10. Either tip the garbage can or dumpster over so the rat can crawl out, or install a low pitched ramp like a rough 2x6 or 2x12 piece of wood at a slight angle so that the rodent can use it to climb out. Any rats that are found trapped inside of an area can be killed and taken to a burn plant to be incinerated.

    NEED HELP GETTING RID OF RATS?

    If you are having problems, or don't want to deal with the rats yourself after reading this article, please give us a call at 1-888-488-7720, you can also contact us through email. You can also call one of the technicians from your area and they can help you figure out a solution. REMEMBER: Rats can be dangerous and working with them can be very complicated; it's best to hire a professional. Check out our YouTube channel and our website, AllstateAnimalControl.com, or use other Google resources to help you solve your problem. We do offer coaching solutions. Please send digital photos of your problem and we can coach you over the phone and ship you products for a fee.