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It is very common to have rats outside and inside your house. In fact. it is very rare not to have rats outside your house. In getting rid of rats, people normally use insecticides and poisons. However, this method is very inhumane and causes long agony before dying among rats. Rats are living creatures too and do not deserve to be treated in an inhumane way. Moreover., this way of getting rid of rats cause a slow and painful death. If your rats outside your house and you are looking for a humane way to get rid of them, you are in the right article.
In this article, we will give you some information about some humane way to get rid of rats outside. These methods decrease the rats outside your house and allow you to control them. Moreover, some of these methods do not involve killing the rats. They will just allow them to look for a place to stay somewhere else.
Humane Way to Get Rid of Rats Outside: What attracts rats outside my house?
It is n0t enough to get rid of rat, you should also know what are the things that makes your rats stay inside and outside your home. This will allow you to make changes and get rid of something that attracts rats at your house.
Below are some of the things that attract rats to your house. Some of these will even surprise you. Aside from that, you will also discover that you have been doing most of these things.
1.Warmth and comfort
Rats love to stay in places where there is warmth and comfort. Who would not love that, right? Similar to other animals, rats stay outside your house and will eventually try to enter because of food and shelter. Also, rats are considered as warm-blooded animals. That being said, it is natural for them to look for a warm place to stay.
And in the process of searching for someplace, they can already cause damage. Although they look small, it is actually easy for them to gnaw wood, make some nest, and try to enter your house after days of staying outside.
If they are staying for several days outside, they will run out of food to eat. That being said, they will eventually look for food to survive. The closest, of course, would be inside your house.
2. Any type of food
This would be the primary thing that attracts rats. Foods. Just like other living creatures, they need food in order to survive. If you think that a pack of food is safe as long as it is inside a plastic or paper box, you are mistaken. Rats have strong teeth and they can ruin even wood with their teeth.
If you are wondering why there plenty of rats outside your house, look carefully because there might be food wastes on the garage or garden. When we say food, we are referring to all types of food because rats are willing to eat everything. Be it milk, bread, meat, and even leather. It is great to them as long as they know their teeth will be of great use.
This explains why there are several rats near a garbage bin especially if the bin is not fully covered. It is full of food wastes and with an open bin, it is very much easy for a rat to make their way into it. If you have foods outside your house, such as pet foods, do make sure that they are properly stored and secured. Otherwise, rats will sniff it out and it might be too late for you.
3. Waste and compost of your pet
If you have a pet outside your house, it very likely they will attract rats. This is not because rats love to be around other animals, but because of your pet’s compost and other waste.
As mentioned earlier, rats like all kinds of food. With that, it is safe to assume that they are into digested food as well. A pile of dog waste is like a buffet of food to them. If you are guilty of letting your pet’s compost to stay in your backyard, then you should at least throw in a trash bin and fully cover the trash bin.
4.Dripping Pipes
Rats are not only attracted to food, but also to dripping pipes. They get thirsty too, you know. They will something to drink outside your house and if they cannot find anything, then they will proceed inside your house. Do not think that your house is rat-proof, because a hungry and thirsty rat will do everything for the sake of food.
In order not to attract rats, make sure there are no dripping pipes in your house. Aside from that, there must be also no pet’s water bottle outside that is leaking. The moment the rat sees this, they will immediately go for it and stay for instant rehydration.
5. Accessibility
No matter how tidy your house is on the inside and outside if they can easily access your house with a hole you are not aware of, then do not be surprised to see rats inside your house. Always look for a possible hole in the size of at least half an inch, a rat can squeeze their way inside your house.
Also, if your house has an attic, make sure to regularly check it. Rats can access it, especially if there is a tree outside your house. Aside from this, other ways for a rat to access your house is through vents and soffits.
6. Plants – if you have indoor plants, the possibility of having a rat inside your house is very high. Fruit plants and nut trees are the types of plants fire ants are attracted to. Rats love fruit trees the most because they bear fruits. That being said, even if a rat decided to stay on the plant for a long time, it would be fine since there is something he can eat.
Humane Way to Get Rid of Rats Outside
Now that you know some of the things that might be attracting rats outside your house, let us look at some of the humane ways to get rid of rats outside. There are better ways than getting rid of a rat with poison and another inhumane ways.
*Rat-Proofing
Rat proofing the place where there is always a rat is one humane way to get rid of rats outside your house. If they are not of a nuisance aside from that place, you need to torture kill them. Just makes sure that they will no longer visit the are.
For instance, you have a pipe in your house and it happens to be leaking, repair it right away. Another example is wiring in your engine compartment. To make such places rat-proof, just simply treat it with a deterrent by coating the surface.
In addition to that, studies show that using a combination of salad oil, cayenne pepper, and garlic is effective in keeping away rats outside and inside your house. When applying these products on the surface, use a spray bottle. In that way, the solution is equally distributed.
*Adopt a cat
There is a saying that a cat and a rat are can never be friends. This is actually true. A rat is afraid of a cat. That being said, if you have a cat outside your house, rats will be too afraid to just even step in your garage.
Aside from that, cats also love to eat rats. On the off chance the cat ends up eating the rat, it is not considered inhumane primarily because the rat served as a sourced meal for the cat.
*Trap and then release
Instead of using the traditional mouse trap where the rat ends up dying or being paralyzed, why not use a mousetrap and release. From the term itself, it will trap the mouse but will eventually release it.
Those people with a heart for animals find this a humane way to get rid of rats outside your house. On the other hand, do take note that releasing a rat 100 yards away from where it is originated is not considered humane. That being said, the rat might need to experience a little bit of suffering.
*Live traps
This is also another humane way to get rid of rats outside. Also, this is used by people who believe that it is not always necessary to kill the rat with poison or other chemicals. Live traps will not get the rats killed but will get removed from your property. Nevertheless, the level of humanness in using this trap depends on how often you check the trap, its design, and whether food and drinks can be put to avoid starvation.
In addition to that, live traps are designed in a way that the rat will not feel comfortable and will not get injured. before using the live trap, it must be carefully checked to make sure that it will not catch any body part of the rat. On the off chance the live trap catches the tail or leg, this will be inhumane since the item causes the agony of the rat.
Keep in mind that if you are to use the live trap as a trap and release, make sure to release it in a place he most likely belongs to. Moreover, this type of trap must not be used to trap the rat and just wait for it to die there. However, studies show that the percentage of rats that survive in the live trap is very low.
*Snap trap
Another type of trap that you can use to prevent rats from staying outside your house is snap trap. This is also popular among people who do not believe in inhumane ways of killing rats.
Using a snap trap is a more humane act of getting rid of rats compared to a live trap. Snap traps come in different designs and sizes. What is great about this trap is that you can use it to trap a mouse or a rat. When looking for a snap trap, it is important to buy from a reliable and trusted brand. This is to make sure that the head of the rat is inside the trap.
A snap trap is proven to the fastest way of killing a rat. In just a snap, the rat will be dead without experiencing pain. Once you clean the trap you can reuse it.
**Some tips in using snap traps
When you decided to use this kind of trap, take note of the following tips:
- Always follow the instruction indicated on the box of the trap or the manual. Also, make sure to put food only on the marked bait area. Keep the other areas clean. By doing this, the chances of painful death or rat suffering from an ury are decreased. Moreover, this will also make sure that the rat will die in a snap without experiencing the y of pain. When thinking of what bait to put, you can choose peanut butter or fresh bread. Rats are suckers for this kind of food.
- For great results, you should not face the trap at right angles but instead parallel to the walls or any place where there is a pathway for the rat that will lead him to the trap. It is advisable to put the trap inside the tunnel or at the end of it. This will further guide the rat in trap. however, to achieve this, you need other materials.
Other Controlled Methods of Getting Rid of Rats Outside your House
Aside from the above mentioned humane way to get rid of rats outside your house, there are other controlled methods that will lead to the quick death of the rodent.
A lot of people prefer using toxic bait to get rid of the pests. Also, they use poison bait for the rat to not disturb other households. The rat will wander outside or inside the house as it gradually dies. Usually, these baits contain harmful chemicals which are called anticoagulants. Furthermore, this type of drug will cause the rat to die slowly and painfully. Poison bait is not recommended as it is very inhumane.
The common effects of anticoagulants are difficulty breathing, bleeding gums, vomiting, and abdominal swelling and pain. Moreover, if an animal eats a poisoned rat, there is a high chance for the animal to get sick. In fact, there is a study showing that 60% of dying owls are caused by poisoned rats.
The following precautions are some of the ways to prevent mice and rots from entering your building or backyard. They are inexpensive and easy to do:
- Make sure your windows have secured screens
- Regularly check your walls for possible holes
- Food waste must not be thrown outside. Secure them and put it a trash bin that is fully covered. Otherwise, it will be easy for the rats to make their way inside the trash bin and eat those food waste.
- On the off chance, our pet was not able to finish all his food, throw it away immediately. For dog foods that are stored in your garage, make sure it is sealed.
Final Words
No one wants a rat outside their house especially if it is getting in the way of you. That being said, it is only necessary to get rid of these animals. However, people almost always resort to the inhumane way of getting rid of the rats even though there is plenty fo humane way to get rid of rats outside. These methods will not allow the rat to suffer and die from pain. Instead, they are just ways to trap the rat and either put them somewhere else or place them in a live trap.
