It's pretty hard to describe how shocked and horrified people feel when they see a rat in their house. Rats are filthy, destructive, and dangerous. 50 thousand people a year receive rat bites. Historically, rats have brought us plague and other diseases. They destroy crops and property. So when they show up in your home, it's hard to stay calm. Fortunately, you can take several effective steps to control them.
Even though rats weight up to 18 ounces, you don't always see them. Most people discover rats by seeing signs of their presence. Look for droppings near food sources. Also, rats follow the same pathways as they search for food, so they leave greasy marks along sideboards and walls. Rats need to gnaw to keep their teeth sharp, so look for gnaw marks on wood around the house. Go outside and see if you can find any holes in the ground that weren't there before. Rats always stay fairly close to their nests, which could be in the yard or the house.
Rats can eat just about anything. You need to be careful with how you store your food and scraps. Keep food items in sealed containers and clean up any spills or crumbs. Since rats need a reliable water source, make sure you have no leaks in your pipes or faucets. Keep your garbage-can lids on tight. Store grass seed and bird seed in sealed containers. If you have a pet, don't leave food out for it, since rats will eat whatever is in the bowl. Don't put scraps in your compost pile, and keep it elevated at least 1 foot off the ground.
Unlike mice, rats need a lot of water, so they may travel in and out of your house. That's why it's important to seal up any cracks, holes, or entry points. Remember, if the hole is the size of a quarter, it's big enough for a rat.
Rats are wary about new foods. They might nibble a teeny bit of something new, then wait to see if it harms them. If they accept new food, they'll gorge on it until they're full. Other rats will follow suit. That's why effective baits often take a few days to work: if they killed immediately, most rats would avoid them. When you use Ortho® Home Defense MAX® No Touch Bait Blocks, they are individually wrapped, so you don't have to touch the bait. Place them where you see signs of rat activity. Keep out a supply of fresh bait for at least 10 days or until there are no more signs of rat activity.
Rats come into people's home looking for food, water, and shelter. As long as you deprive them of food and water, and make it difficult for them to get in, your home will be less attractive to them.
Rats have been a problem for people throughout history. They eat or spoil crops, spread terrible diseases, and damage property. There are stories of old wooden ships sinking because rats had gnawed through them. Every year, thousands of people in this country suffer from rat bites. The two main species are the Norway rat and the roof rat.
