How do I catch/kill a rat that lives in my garage. It is honestly the size of a Chihuahua. I had to cancel my exterminator due to cost & other bills, so it's been there a while, and has since chewed the seal and inside plastic of our outside fridge and crawled inside. It lives under the fridge. This is grossing me out!!!!!
2007-01-01 05:26:00 · 7 answers · asked by lilmama 1 in Home & Garden ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Rats are quite intelligent and know how to avoid traps. Cut off the food and water supply. Get a live trap and put the food and water in it. Leave the lights off.
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2007-01-04 01:00:36 · answer #1 · answered by Bill G 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This page has some good suggestions for humanely taking care of a rat problem:
http://www.helpinganimals.com/wildlife_livingWithMice.asp
I've had very good success live trapping and releasing mice in my home, and I'm sure you could easily do the same with the rat. If you do live trap the rat, please be sure to check the traps several times a day and release the rat promptly, approximately a mile away from your home. It is much more cruel to allow a rat in a live trap to slowly starve to death than to kill it quickly with a snap trap. Also, if you use the live traps outside, put some bedding (torn-up paper towels or cotton balls) inside the trap so the rat won't freeze to death during the night. When you release the rat, do it in an area with some sheltering bushes or plants.
The absolute cruelest traps are glue traps. Rats have been known to gnaw off their own limbs and tear off their skin in an effort to escape, as they starve or dehydrate to death or suffocate in the glue. Poison isn't any better, as the rats die slowly and painfully from internal bleeding. It can take up to a week for them to die.
It doesn't take much extra effort to be kind. You will feel better and so will the rat! Good luck!
2007-01-05 10:20:25 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Killing one won't stop others from coming.
We had a temporary rat problem of them burrowing under our doghouse (into the ground where concrete blocks had provided a good place for them to be protected).
A call to our health dept. informed that they go where there is a food source. In our case, we fed the (outdoor, at that time) dogs outside. It was the perfect rat feast.
Also had to dig up and move the concrete blocks and elevate and move the doghouse.
Remove the habitat and food source and they will move on to other perfect places to live.
So, even if you trap, bait, kill this one, as long as the conditions for them to easily eat, nest where they are, others will follow.
Call your health dept. Ours now provides info and some help in getting rid of them, as they are a public health threat and they don't want them any more than you do.
2007-01-01 17:01:34 · answer #3 · answered by M A 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your health department will give you advice. meanwhile, a food source is attracting them. What is in your garage? Birdseed? Dog/cat food? Packaged goods? Heavily perfumed washing powder? Do a survey. Then put Rat DeCon everywhere... for A MONTH. Change it frequently. There's no such thing as just one rat. Plus, consider this. If they can get into your garage, they can probably get into your house. So, take no chances. Put out as much poison as possible.... but, of course, keep a close eye on your little ones.
2007-01-01 18:08:03 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
We have Brown Wood Rats here in Michigan. It's hard keeping them out of the barn when we have livestock, being after the grain all the time.
Cats just don't work on these, the cats just watch them. Be careful but use Rat DeCon, works well.
2007-01-01 14:33:40 · answer #5 · answered by cowboydoc 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Glue traps are the best method to trap rats and mice.
I found detailed information at http://www.pests.in
2007-01-01 21:26:17 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just bye big rat traps and use peanut butter.
2007-01-01 14:39:17 · answer #7 · answered by Joe 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋