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Finding out that you have a rodent infestation in your home or business can be a frightful realization. There are a number of various rodents that include rats, mice and larger rodents like moles among others. There are some easy tricks to bait for rats and get rid of your rat problem that all homeowners, business owners, property managers, rental landlords and others should pay close attention to before setting any kind of trap.
Determine Whether You Are Dealing With Mice or Rats
Although rats and mice may all be similar to most, there are differences between these two rodents that will impact how you can catch them and rid them from your indoor areas. Rats are larger than mice by far with some city rats growing to sizes as large as small cats or possums. The first step is to determine whether you are dealing with a mice invasion or a rat infestation.
Differences Between Rats & Mice
Rats and mice are generally nocturnal meaning they tend to be out hunting food sources when it is dark. Mice leave smaller fecal droppings than rats do. Rats will have larger feces droppings, and rats often leave behind telltale body grease marks as they maneuver through tight enclosed spaces where they tend to enter the building and where they build their nests.
Preferred Traps for Mice
Rats will have longer tails than mice. Since mice are so small, the traps used to catch them are ideally smaller too. It is best to use a scented mouse trap that is a sticky glue affixed to a piece of cardboard. When a mouse is nearby, it will zero in on the scent. The mouse will become stuck to the cardboard as it tries to get to the potential food source being the glue trap. Some of these cardboard glue mouse traps can be folded into an open-ended small box that creates a tunnel where mice will enter.
Expert tip: If you become stuck to the sticky glue, or it catches something else, try rubbing some extra virgin olive oil to loosen the sticking power to remove the stuck item.
Preferred Traps for Rats
As rats will be bigger than their mice counterparts, it is important to get a rat trap that is larger in size. The Victor Rat Traps have been a mainstay choice for catching rats by pest control experts for decades now. These traps usually come in a set for the ability to catch more rats at the same time in different locations. These are your basic snap-shut rat traps that have a springboard loaded hinge that is tripped when the rat touches the trap.
There are some newer rat traps that some people like due to the easy resetting of the device and less overall mess to deal with. These rat traps tend to be made out of heavy-duty plastic that has a strong hinge element easier to set. Snap traps are nice for people looking for an easy method that doesn’t require much skill at all.
There are also live catch rat traps that can capture a rat without killing it. Typically, these humane types of live traps tend to be used for garden variety rodents like rabbits, moles, chipmunks, squirrels and so forth.
Where to Set up Your Chosen Rat Traps
Some people prefer to set rat traps outside hoping to catch any rats trying to enter the structure from outdoors. This might catch a lot of rats, but it will really not do much to trap rats that have already gotten inside and set up their cozy nesting places. Therefore, if possible, it is best to set rat traps indoors.
It is usually more effective to place the traps near where evidence of rats are found. Along the baseboards, behind appliances and in attics or basements are all terrific places to try if unsure where your un-welcome invader has set up camp.
How to Properly Bait Your Rat Trap
Some pest control professionals prefer to use a combination approach to catching rats. Get a few standard spring-loaded traps and purchase a cardboard rat trap too. Cut small squares out of the cardboard box. Use pliers to release the spring and small inner piece before setting the device. Carefully push down on the square cardboard under the spring laden trap bottom. This creates more sensitivity to motion to catch crafty rats that tend to be quicker than humans would think.
