Rats may be cute animals, but your opinion may change after seeing them running around the house. You'll be even more irritated if you find traces of it (such as dirt or even nests) in your wardrobe or kitchen cupboards. If there are mice in the house, there are several options. You can set a humane trap and remove it outdoors, use a regular snap trap, or have a cat for this task. Seal any gaps in your home, remove food sources, and try using a mouse repellent to keep them out of your home.
Step
Method 1 of 3: Trapping and Releasing Rats
Step 1. Track down the mouse
If you see a mouse running around your house, find out where it went. Rats can move quickly, and you'll have a hard time catching them right away and throwing them away. A better solution is to track the mouse to its nest so you can catch it with a trap.
- Look for the nest if you can't see where the mice are going. Rats usually make nests from scraps of paper, cloth, hair, and other unused objects. The rat's nest smelled musty. Look for nests in corners of wardrobes, behind refrigerators, under sinks, in crevices in walls, and other hidden, dark places.
- You can also search for mouse droppings to track them down. Rat droppings look like black rice grains. If you find droppings, rats may be nesting nearby.
- You can also place the traps in areas of your home where rats often congregate, such as the garage, basement, or kitchen.
Tip:
Rats are shy animals and can move quickly. So even if there are some mice living in the house, you probably won't see them in person. You should pay attention to some clues such as dirt, chewed food packaging, and a musty smell that spreads.
Step 2. Set a humane mousetrap
You can use this trap to catch mice without killing them. This type of trap uses bait that will attract rats to enter the winding hole. If a mouse is trapped in it, the trap door will close and the mouse will not be able to get out. You can buy these traps online, at a hardware store, or at a home improvement store.
- This humane mousetrap is indeed more expensive than a thong trap. However, like thong traps, these traps are reusable and are therefore worth buying.
- Set the bait (such as peanuts, peanut butter, or oatmeal) according to the instructions provided.
- Place traps around the nest and let the mice take the bait.
- Check the traps daily to see if any rats are trapped in them.
Step 3. Make your own trap if you don't want to buy one
You can also make humane traps with materials you already have at home or buy them at a hardware store. It's definitely cheaper than factory-made traps. A few things you'll need to do to make a trap out of cans:
- Remove the lid from the soup can, empty the contents, and drill a small hole in the bottom with a drill. Alternatively, you can use a soda can and punch holes in the bottom with a screwdriver or nail.
- Prepare a bucket (preferably a minimum of 20 liters) and apply oil on the inside to make the walls of the bucket slippery. Make holes on the opposite sides of the bucket, just below the top edge of the bucket.
- Thread the wire through the center of the can to a length that reaches the two holes you made in the bucket. Make sure the can rotates easily. Wrap the wire several times through the holes in the bucket to secure it.
- Lean a piece of wood against the bucket so the rat can climb to the top of the bucket and reach the wire.
- Spread peanut butter on the can. The rat would crawl through the wire to reach for the peanut butter, then fall into the bucket and be unable to climb up.
Step 4. Release the mouse outside after you catch it using the trap
Don't just take it off in your backyard. You can walk, bike, or drive a car/motorcycle to get rid of mice in a place at least 1.5 km from the house so that the animal does not re-enter the house. Release rats in parks or forest edges. To release a mouse, open the trap and let the animal out on its own.
Some animal welfare organizations recommend that you release rats into other buildings on your property, such as a garage or shed. This gives the mouse a chance to grow and survive, especially if the animal lives in your house for the rest of its life
Step 5. Try driving mice out of the house
There is one last humane way to get rid of rats from the house, which is to get them out! Rats sometimes just run in and out of the house because they want to get out of there, just like you want. Help the animal by guiding it with a broom to the open exit. You may have to chase it a bit to get the rat to reach the exit. If you can do this, it's much faster than using traps that require you to remove them.
However, this method allows mice to re-enter the house, especially if they enter through a gap in the door or a hole in the foundation. If there are still nooks and crannies for rats to get into your house, seal all the gaps and use a deterrent to keep mice from re-entering
Method 2 of 3: Killing Rats Using Traps and Other Means
Step 1. Install the tweezers
This method is considered the most effective for eradicating rats. Make sure you buy a trap designed for common rats, not large rats (rat). Place bait (such as peanut butter) and place the trap in an area frequented by rats. When the mouse presses on the trap, the wire will clamp down on the animal and make it die quickly. This mouse-killing trap is not very comfortable to use, but it can solve the problem.
- Place the trap so that it is perpendicular to the wall (the trap and the edge of the wall form a "T" shape), with the bait near the wall.
- Place the trap in an area where there are signs of rats, such as droppings or nests. Be careful not to place the trap in a place where children or pets can find it and turn it into a toy.
Warning:
Don't use poison baits to set in clip-on traps, especially if there are pets or children in the house who can find the poison and get sick from it.
Step 2. Check traps frequently and remove dead mice
After setting traps (of any type), you should inspect them daily. You may have to change the bait if a mouse picks it up without getting caught. Leaving rats in the trap for a few days is unhealthy. Dead rats can spread bad odors and attract insects. So don't forget to check the traps.
- If any rats are caught, you must dispose of them immediately. Remove the dead mouse from the trap and place it in a plastic bag, then throw it in the trash can outside the house and close it tightly.
- To avoid getting sick, wear gloves when you dispose of dead mice, then wash your hands with soap and warm water.
Step 3. Avoid inhumane use of glue traps
Glue traps are shaped like houses or small containers made of cardboard. The floor of the trap is coated with a glue that is so sticky that mice will not be able to escape after stepping on it. Once trapped, the rat will die of starvation. Because these traps cause excessive stress, pain, and suffering in rats, most animal welfare organizations prohibit their use. If you want to kill rats, use tweezers instead of glue.
- The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also discourages the use of glue traps because rats or other live animals trapped there will urinate and defecate there, potentially spreading disease to the person holding the trap.
- Glue traps are also dangerous for pets in the house because the glue can be stepped on and stuck to the animal's claws or fur.
- Some areas and countries have strict regulations regarding the use and sale of glue traps.
Step 4. Try getting a cat to control rodents in the long term
Cats are naturally predators of rats so you can keep them to keep the rat population down. If you don't have a cat, borrow a cat from a friend and let it stay in your house for a few days. This method actually does not guarantee success because not all cats like to hunt mice. However, this method usually has the same effectiveness as the use of traps.
Several animal care organizations exist that host stray cats that are trained to catch mice. Do a search on "cat adoption" to find this mouse-hunting animal and keep it at home
Method 3 of 3: Keeping Rats from Entering the House
Step 1. Close all doors tightly to prevent mice from getting in
Rats can enter through the gap between the floor and the bottom of the door. Rats can flatten their bodies to pass through narrow openings. So don't overlook small gaps and think they're impassable for mice. Purchase a door seal at a hardware store, and attach it to the bottom of the door so that there are no more gaps.
- Look around the area around the door to see if there are other places where mice can get into the house. There may be holes in the foundation that need to be covered with putty. You can also plug it with steel wool (steel wool).
- Cover all vents (eg vents for dryers or attics) in the house with wire mesh.
- Also check the screen on the door to make sure that there are no holes.
Step 2. Keep trash in the container
Rats are attracted to the smell of food, so it's important to keep trash in containers in your home or yard. Use a trash can that can be tightly closed, both indoors and outdoors. Make sure the garbage is immediately removed from the house for disposal to the final disposal site.
- Rats can also be attracted to recyclable containers, as these cans, bottles, and boxes may still contain food debris. Store recyclable containers in another container that can be tightly closed.
- If you have a compost pile, make sure it is located far from your house, as compost can attract rats.
Tip:
If you're feeding birds outdoors, it's a good idea to stop them for a while until the rat problem is resolved. Alternatively, choose foods that don't leave skin on them that mice can eat, such as fat, hummingbird nectar, or bird feed from peeled seeds.
Step 3. Get rid of the place full of dirt
Whether in the house or yard, clean up any scattered objects that provide food and shelter for mice. If you leave food outside, leave food crumbs lying around, or have a pile of twigs in your yard, rats may start to enter your yard. Keep the house clean and tidy so that the mice will not feel comfortable living there.
- Store food in tightly closed containers so rats cannot pick it up. For example, you can transfer cereal from its cardboard box to a tightly closed glass or plastic container.
- If you have pets, keep their food in a container and don't leave it outside.
Step 4. Try using the repellent in conjunction with other rat control methods
Some people suggest that you use peppermint oil as a natural remedy to repel mice, but its effectiveness is not yet clear. Try mixing 2 tsp (10 ml) of peppermint oil with 1 cup (250 ml) of water in a spray bottle. Next, spray this mixture on areas frequented by rats. You can also buy an ultrasonic mouse repellent and place it around your home.
There is no solid evidence that peppermint or other essential oils can effectively repel mice. Ultrasonic mouse repellents are effective at first, but rats will get used to them over time. Use this method in conjunction with other rat control techniques
Tips
- Don't forget to cover all the holes. This may be a tedious task, but it must be done. Steel coir is perfect for sealing holes, and can be combined with plaster (cement mix) walls (although it will rust and penetrate the plaster later). One important point to cover is at the back of the oven, which is usually used for the hole where the power cord comes out. Cover the hole well!
- Contrary to popular belief, there are certain types of mice that don't like cheese. Some good substitute baits include chocolate, bread, hard caramel, meat, and peanut butter. Rats also like chicken feed from corn.
