My house is infested with rats, what can i do about it?

Question

i'd like the name of a good repellant or chemical that can make the rats stay away

Answer 1

This can be a serious matter, as rats carry disease and create an unhealthy atmosphere with their urine and feces. They can be destructive to insulation, ductwork and insulation on electrical lines. When cornered, they will defend themselves, but will almost always avoid an encounter with a human. Unfortunately, repellants, chemicals, baits and traps are all for naught until you solve a few mechanical issues:

1. How are they getting in? Some situations I have encountered include :

Climbing up trees to the roof, then finding gaps in flashing or soffit.

Shimmying up the a/c line chase cover or downspout from the ground to the attic or soffit.

Climbing up the conduit for underground electric and sqeezing in through gaps around the meter.

Climbing up screen enclosures to the roof or soffit.

Entering in through the open garage door and accessing the attic through openings in the garage ceiling

2. What is their water supply? They need lots of water, and won't spend a lot of time inside without a nearby water source. Some I have seen:

Auxillary drain pans under a/c unit.

Dog or cat dish

Artesian well or fish pond in yard

Ponding water on a flat roof

Plumbing leaks: outside hose bibb, kitchen sink, water heater

3. What is their food supply? Some likely suspects:

Dog or cat food

Cereal, flour, rice

Rotton fruit from an outside fruit tree

If you are diligent in your investigation, and eliminate these elements from the environment, the rest is easy enough. I generally stick rat traps with a smear of peanut butter around their favorite haunts. It pays to tie the trap down with a string, as the hearty ones will walk away with the trap and die in a secret place, emitting funky odors for weeks.

Likewise, avoid the poisons that cause rats to madly seek water outside and then die. If you have done your homework, the rat will be trapped inside, and stink up the place when it dies.

When I plug ratholes, the most effective stuff I've found is cork tape, used by a/c mechanics. They can't seem to gnaw through it.

After you have regained control of your home, be sure to examine your attic carefully for breaches in the ductwork and exposed wiring. I have had rats gain entry into fiberglass ductboard and set up shop in the entire duct system, contaminating the ductboard with their waste.

Good luck and God bless you!

Answer 2

Rat Infestation

Answer 3

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
My house is infested with rats, what can i do about it?
i'd like the name of a good repellant or chemical that can make the rats stay away

Answer 4

Either move or call an exterminator. First, figure out what's attracting the rats to your house and CLEAN IT UP. Rats only stick around when there's a food source.

Answer 5

DECON works wonders....mix it with peanut butter and they'll eat it up like crazy! What DECON does to rats (and all mammels for that matter) when ingested it causes internal bleeding resulting in death.
Don't use it if you have dogs, cats, or any other animals in the house unless you keep them seperated from the area you put it in.

Answer 6

I would call pest control in your area.

I used to clean a lady's house she was infested with mice and used the Decon stuff. Well they all died inside the walls and you could smell them decaying. She had to call a specialist to come out and put something in the wall to take care of it.

Answer 7

move-im kidding.there are rat poisons and mouse traps,all sorts of things.the first step is to make sure you dont leave any food out.they are like bad houseguests.if you feed them,they'll never leave.there is a poison called d-con ready mixed baitbits.try them. also,you might try boric acid

Answer 8

put glue traps everywhere. there is also rat poison but only if u dont have cats, dogs or other pets to get a hold of it.

Answer 9

Steel wool in the holes they come in through. Traps. And, yes, poison. Instinct among them will spread the word.

Answer 10

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