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 Screen air vents.
The following sections describe some of the major
Caulk and seal doors to ensure a tight
techniques and tools used in controlling rats:
fit, especially between door and floor
threshold.
Sanitation
Food. Like all animals, rats need food to survive.
Fit windows and screens tightly.
Caulk and close openings on upper
Baiting programs often fail because the bait can't
floors and the roof, inspect under siding
compete with the rats' regular food. The rats simply
and repair damaged soffits.
ignore the baits or cache them. Reducing the rats'
Repair breaks in the foundation below
normal food encourages them to feed on any
ground level.
rodenticide baits placed in their territory.
Building Interior.
Close or repair dumpsters and garbage
Seal spaces inside hollow block voids or
containers that are left open or
behind wallboard. Repair broken blocks
damaged.
and holes around pipes.
Clean food spills.
Repair gnaw holes or stuff them with
Do not allow food to be left out
copper wool.
overnight.
Equip floor drains with sturdy metal
Outdoors, remove seeds spilled under
grates held firmly in place.
bird feeders or food around doghouses.
In warehouses and food plants, look for
spills around railroad tracks and loading
Traps
Snap Trap. The snap trap is an effective method
docks. Ensure food in storage is rotated
properly (first in, first out) and is stored
of killing rats when used correctly. Trapping is
on pallets, not on the ground or against
advised for use in places where rodenticides are
walls. The pallets should be 18-24
considered too risky or aren't working well, if the
inches from side walls and placed so
odor of dead rats in wall or ceiling voids would be
that aisles permit inspection and
unacceptable, or when there are only a few rats
cleaning around the stored food.
infesting a limited area.
Trapping has several advantages. There is less
Eliminate hiding places.
nontarget risk than from a toxicant. The technician
Outdoors
knows instantly whether or not the trap has been
Remove plant ground covers such as ivy
successful. Traps also allow for disposal of the carcass
near buildings.
so that there are no odor problems.
Remove high grass, weeds, wood piles,
Careful attention to detail is necessary to ensure
and construction debris that permit rats
proper placement in adequate numbers or rats will
to live and hide adjacent to a building.
simply pass them by.
Indoors
The best traps are those with expanded triggers
Reduce clutter in rarely-used rooms --
(treadles) set for a light touch.
basements, storage rooms, equipment
Leaving the traps unset for a few days
rooms. Organize storage areas.
may increase the catch by reducing the
chance that wary rats will trip the traps
Rat-Proofing (Exclusion)
without capture.
Long term, the most successful form of rat
Set traps with bait, if food for rats is in
control is to build them out. Also called rat-proofing,
short supply, or without bait if food is
this technique makes it impossible for rats to get into
plentiful. Good baits for Norway rats
a building or an area of a building. Rat-proofing
include peanut butter, hot dog slices,
prevents new rats from reinfesting a building once it
bacon, or nut meats. Roof rats respond
has been cleared.
to dried fruits and nuts, or fresh fruits
such as banana or apple.
Building Exterior.
Tie moveable bait to the trigger using
string or dental floss, or else the rat
Seal cracks and holes in building
may simply remove the bait without
foundations and exterior walls.
triggering the trap.
Block openings around water and sewer
Sprinkle cereal, such as oatmeal, around
pipes, electric lines, air vents, and
traps to make them more attractive.
telephone wires.
Module Three Chapter 2, Pg 7
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