How to get rid of rats in your home
Getting rid of rats in your home can take a bit of work. When you notice an infestation, act quickly to avoid damage and take steps to prevent future problems.
Written by Lynell Spencer
Reviewed by Melanie Reiff
If you see a rat or signs of an infestation in your home, it is best to act fast—start by minimizing entry points of your home, then use traps or bait to deal with the rats that are already inside.
Finding out you have a rat problem can be startling and, let's face it, horrifying. But once you are over the initial shock, you can take quick and decisive action to rid your home of these pests once and for all.
While the best cure for rats is prevention, sometimes rats find a way in despite your best efforts—especially if you live in an area where they are common. Rats come into homes looking for food, water, and shelter. You can make sure these items are not accessible in your home, and then choose a method of removal.
You’ll want to act fast—one rat can become an infestation in a flash.
Car and home insurance
broker Jerry
to get you all the information you need quickly so that you feel prepared to deal with rats or anything else that comes your way. How to get rid of rats in your home
Once you know you have rats, your first decision is how to get rid of them. You may want to reach out to an exterminator immediately—especially if you suspect an infestation. Depending on the size of your problem, an exterminator will cost between $200-$1200.
If you decide to take on the problem yourself, you need to choose between poison, kill traps, and humane traps and get started right away. The method you choose can depend on any number of factors, including the layout of your home, the presence of pets and children, and the size of the infestation.
Methods to get rid of rats
If you have an infestation, you can use traditional methods or natural methods. While traditional methods can be more reliable, natural methods also have their benefits.
Traditional methods
Each type of rat extermination method has pros and cons, based largely on how many rats you are dealing with, where they are nesting, and how comfortable you are with the disposal. Here is a quick look at each method:
Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
Poison/bait | You can treat multiple areas at once. Rodents take the bait back to their nests. | Rodents are likely to die in your walls or other places you don't see them. Bait doesn't work immediately, it takes time for rats to eat a high enough dosage to kill them. |
Live traps | This is the most humane method | You have to take rats far from your home and release them. May not be effective if you have an infestation. You can only trap one rat at a time. |
Kill traps | You have evidence when a rat is caught. No rats will die where you don't see them. | Disposal is up to you. Many traps can only be used once. |
Let Jerry find you the best homeowners insurance policy for your needs
* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score
Shop Now
* checking your rate won’t affect your credit score
The key to each of these methods is proper placement. If you aren’t sure where the common paths are, you may miss the most effective opportunities, so make sure you know where the rats are when you set bait or traps.
Natural methods
You can also try some natural options, like these:
- Dry ice. Stuff about 2 pounds of dry ice chips or pellets into a rat's nest and seal the hole. This will suffocate the rats as the ice turns from a solid to a gas.
- Peppermint oil, cayenne pepper, black pepper, or cloves are offensive to rat noses and tastebuds. Spread these around your home’s exterior to prevent the rats from entering your home in the first place.
- Crushed pepper (or spray pepper spray). Spread near rat openings and holes. This will irritate the rats’ noses and airways and discourage them from reentering your home.
How to spot an infestation
The extermination method you choose should be appropriate to the size of your problem. A single rat trap is not going to do the job if several rats have taken up residence in your home. So how do you know if your one rat is part of a pack? Here are some of the signs of an infestation:
- Droppings: Look for black or brown pellet-like droppings near food sources
- Tracks: Look for greasy trails along floors and baseboards or footprints leading away from food and water sources.
- Gnawing: Rats gnaw constantly. They can do extensive damage to your home and your belongings. You may find evidence of chewing on things like electrical cords, cardboard boxes, wood furniture, or laundry baskets.
- Odor: Rats have a heavy musky odor. The more rats you have, the more noticeable the odor will be.
- Hearing squeaking or movement in walls: Rats often take up residence in your walls, using small holes and ductwork to travel around. You may not see them, but you will hear them.
Types of damage rats will do
Some pests can be easily ignored, but rats should not be on that list. Rats can do real structural damage to your home. They have an unparalleled ability to chew through wiring, drywall, even concrete—and because their teeth grow up to five inches per year, the constant gnawing keeps them short and razor-sharp.
Here is some of the damage that can be caused by rat infestations:
- Fire: Rats and mice are estimated to cause 20-25% of structure fires that have an undetermined cause by chewing through electrical wiring. If rats have gained entry to your walls, they could be creating fire hazards that you don’t know about.
- Rats carry diseases (like the plague, salmonella, hepatitis E, and rat-bite fever) that can be transmitted through dust, water, dirt, and droppings. This can be especially dangerous for pets and children, who are likely to come in contact.
- Rats breed year-round, and the average female brown rat can have up to 2,000 babies per year. So this is a problem that can get out of hand quickly.
- Damage to books, walls, furniture, art, food, and other household items. They eat literally everything. And what they don't eat, they chew on anyway,
Maintain and repair your home as needed
Preventing entry (or re-entry) is one of the most important aspects of keeping these pests out of your home. Whether you use an exterminator or do it yourself, once the rats are out, here’s how to prevent them from coming back.
Block rats' common entrances to your home
Rats can get into your home through the roof or by tunneling under your house. They are actually quite good climbers and tunnelers. There are some landscaping changes you can make that will create natural barriers to entry.
Prevent them from tunneling under your home by laying down pavers or a patio. By creating a stone ‘moat’ of sorts, you can make it difficult for rats to tunnel. You can also create space between your grass and your house—rats are less likely to cross that open distance.
Keep them from entering through the roof by making sure there are no vines, tree branches, or other things to climb that will allow them access to your roof. Trim back branches and use plastic or metal tree wrap or tree guards to make access difficult.
Store food and garbage properly
Make sure you are storing your food and garbage in ways that limit access for rodents. General cleanliness along with these strategies is key:
- Sealed containers: Store food and garbage in tightly sealed containers. In your home, use garbage cans with lids, and keep dry goods (like cereals and grains) in tightly sealed plastic containers.
- Clean appliances (and behind large appliances): Make sure that kitchen appliances are free of spillage and debris, and regularly move large appliances to clean the walls and floors behind them.
- Store garbage away from the house if possible. Even 5-10 feet of distance can discourage rats in your garbage from entering your home.
How to save money on homeowners insurance
After providing you with a comprehensive cross-analysis of the best policies across providers,
Jerry
will handle the phone calls, paperwork, and renewals for your top pick so that you don’t have to. They can even help cancel your old policy! So why do all that extra work when Jerry can do it for you?“Jerrywas wonderful! I used it for my auto and renters policies. I trusted it so much that I signed up my homeowners insurance under Jerry as well. All of the agents are amazingly nice and knowledgeable.” —Mary Y.
RECOMMENDED
Thousands of customers saved on average $887/year on their car insurance with Jerry
This app is great, but the customer service is even better! Not to mention convenient! My husband and I got the lowest rate (much lower than the rates I was finding online through my own searches), quickly, and pretty much all through text message! Thank you so much for a hassle free experience👍
Gabriella R.
Find insurance savings (100% Free)
4.7/5 Rating on App Store
FAQ
What attracts rats to your home?
Rats want what everyone else wants—food, water, and shelter. The more accessible these things are in and around your home, the more rats will be drawn in. Eliminate food sources, standing water, and places to hide in and around your home to keep these pests away.
Compare Car Insurance Quotes For Free
Jerry automatically shops for your insurance before every renewal. Members save $872/year.
Start saving money!
You might also be interested
