Lethal Rat Traps
Some lethal rat traps include snap traps, glue boards, and zapper traps.
Snap traps are both effective and cheap, although they have the possibility of harming unintended victims if they are accidentally set off by fingers, toes, or paws.
Glue traps work by trapping the rats to the board with non-toxic glue. These types of traps are cheap but they are considered inhuman because it leaves the rats to die a slow death of starvation or stress. One downside of these two previously mentioned types of traps is that they may not kill right away and you will have to finish the unfortunate task yourself.
Zapper traps are much more expensive but they are considered humane in that they lure rats into a small structure then deal a lethal electric shock. These types of traps are great for the squeamish who don’t want to see the body. The downside is that they eat through batteries very quickly.
Non-lethal Catch Traps
Nonlethal rat traps are generally more expensive. These traps are known as catch traps and they work by luring the rats into a trap that then triggers a mechanism that snaps shut the opening behind them. Make sure that you are using the correct size of trap for your mouse problem, if the trap is too big they may easily escape. If you are using live catch traps and intend to release the rats, check with local authorities before releasing them because rats are considered a health hazard and freeing them may be considered illegal in your area. When releasing the rats make sure you do it miles from your home so they can’t return to their nest later.
Tips for Traps
Rat traps should be placed in paths where rats frequently travel. In order for these traps to be most effective, they should be pre-baited without setting the traps so that the rats become accustomed to the traps. Once the rats become used to the traps you can set them. If you face a large infestation, use many traps so you can catch a lot of rats at one time before they become trap-shy and avoid the traps. Always make sure that you are using the correct type of traps for your pests, as smaller mice traps will only annoy rats. If you have pets and children in your home be cautious about which types of traps you use so as not to injure any inadvertent targets.
Rat Poison
It is not recommended that you use rat poison in your home because rat poison is slow acting and rats have the opportunity to go hide in any numerous hard to get to areas in your home, leaving you to find the rotting rat carcasses using only your nose. The rotting bodies may also attract many other pests into your home. If you do use rat poison, make sure it is in areas where children and house pets cannot reach.
Keeping Your Home Pest Free
Using traps to kill rats will only work if you are also protecting your home from these invaders. Make sure that you are getting rid of their food and water supplies. You will also need to block any entry ways into your home that the rats may be using, or else you may be killing the rats as fast as they are entering your home. Using expanding foam caulk and steel wool in cracks and gaps in the outside of your home are a few steps that you can take to help protect your home from these pests.