Rats

Rats: The definitive guide and how to eliminate them

There are lots of vermin that haunt our homes and make us feel dread, annoyance and disgust, especially if it’s rats; and is that these not so tiny little animals have a horrible appearance and also are dedicated to finish the food in our cupboards, leaving their droppings and urinate everywhere, as if they wanted to let us know that they have entered home and we have not caught them.

To make matters worse, rats are carriers of many diseases, some more delicate than others, and can represent a huge problem, especially when there are small children playing on the ground; and even if they were to reproduce, that would be more than terrible.

Well, this time we will talk about these little pests and we will show you some tricks that will help you to end this problem once and for all.

What are rats?

These are mammals that belong to the family of rodents. They measure about 30 cm, have the body covered with hairs, a long tail, pointed snout and rigid ears. Its anterior legs are short while the hind legs are longer, and also have incisor teeth that never stop growing, so they are forced to gnaw to wear them out and shorten them. The latter is done with hard objects, so if you have rats at home, it is normal for you to bump into wood or other gnawed materials.

Why are there rats in your home?

Surely you are wondering what is the reason that there are rats in your home. Well, to begin with, these animals are in almost everyone, because their capacity for reproduction and adaptation is, unfortunately, incredible. Some people consider them a pest, since they tend to destroy crops and spread diseases that are delicate for people.

In urban areas, rats feed on food waste left by man, as well as some insects. They like warm and humid places, that’s why we often see them coming out of the sewers, and they stay in places surrounded by garbage, which they usually rummage through in search of food.

Well, if you live near train stations, sewers or garbage dumps, you are much more likely to fall victim to these rodents. They can enter your house by squeezing through small holes like cracks, pipes and even through the space under the doors. Also, if you have a garden, they can dig their entrance tunnel from the outside to your house, or make a hole in easy-to-gnaw materials like wood.

These vermin often enter the homes in search of shelter and food, especially in rainy seasons, and if they find a comfortable place for them, they stay there and even reproduce.

Now, to know if you have rats at home, you should check if there is excrement and urine in the rooms, gnawed materials or strange noises, as they are infallible signs that one or more of these animals have decided to keep you company.

Types of rats

The most common types of rats are the gray or sewer rat, the black or field rat and the home or domestic mouse. Let’s see now what are the particularities of each of these animals.

Grey ray or sewer rat

This rat species usually lives in places with high humidity, and it is in the sewers where they tend to proliferate, hence they have been given that name. Due to the humid conditions of these places, these rats are expert swimmers and climbers.

Regarding their diet, they like plants as well as other smaller animals, as well as decaying food and materials such as paper, wood and plastic.

Black rat or field rat

It is very common to find this type of rat both inside and outside the buildings. When they are in extreme conditions, they like to nest in high places such as trees, hanging plants and roofs, while if they are inside the buildings, prefer elevated areas such as attics, holes in the walls, among others.

In general, they are the main responsible for the lack of food in the cupboards and, like the rest of the rodents, they are capable of transmitting serious diseases for the human being.

Domestic or house mouse

It is the most common type of rat inside homes. It can be installed anywhere in the house, either in a high or low area, and your diet depends largely on what you find at the moment. However, this vermin has a preference for foods such as cereal, fruits, dairy products and sugary products, and something very interesting is that, once you find your food, only eat a part, leave it and keep looking for more food.

Rats Bite: What happens if they bites you?

As we said before, rats have huge teeth and not only use them to eat and chew, but also to defend themselves when they feel threatened. Through its bite, the rat can spread dangerous diseases such as Hantavirus and Leptospirosis, and in some cases it is possible that it transmits what is known as fever by rat bite or Sodoku. In addition to this, those who are bitten by a rat are prone to tetanus infections and even rabies.

The bite of a rat can be superficial, leaving a simple wound similar to a puncture, or deeper, giving multiple injuries. Normally some blood appears as a result of the bite, and is usually more scandalous depending on the severity of it.

Now, although rodent bite infections are really very rare, they should always be treated immediately, with proper cleansing and antisepsis. Tetanus vaccine may be required if it has not been received in recent years, as well as the rabies vaccine.

Are rats dangerous?

Regarding whether or not rats are dangerous, we must say that they are; and is that, although rabies, tetanus and other infections caused by their bite are not so common, they can transmit serious diseases through their mucous membranes, their urine and their excrement, and some examples are salmonellosis, leptospirosis and hepatitis.

Also, these animals are often carriers of fleas, bed bugs and lice, unpleasant pests that not only infest our homes, but also are capable of transmitting other diseases that can affect both people and their pets.

In short, these small rodents can be more dangerous than they appear, so it is very important to detect their presence and find a way to eliminate them as soon as possible.

How to eliminate rats from your home?

Although we try to chase and exterminate the rats, these animals have a tremendous agility that allows them to sneak and hide even in the smallest hole. These animals can climb walls, jump long distances, dig and even swim, as well as being perfectly in total darkness.

Now, to eliminate them, a lot of mechanisms have been devised that can be useful and among which we can choose, and here we will talk about some of them.

Poisons in sticks or capsules

This is one of the most practical mechanisms there are because we can plug the entrances to the mousetraps with them, just as if it were the cork of a bottle, and we can also throw them between the walls, so that they can reach places that are difficult to reach. with other types of traps.

Best of all is that its price is quite affordable, the only detail is that these capsules are very similar to dog food and can harm pets if they get to ingest, as well as small children.

Spring traps

These are the typical traps we see in cartoons and lifelong movies. While they work great, it can be a bit annoying to remove the dead or half-injured animal from the trap, so you must think it over before risking one of these.

Of course, the more rat traps you place, the more effective the method will be, the only detail is that, if you have many rats at home, it is best to look for another alternative, because with these traps it is only possible to catch a bichillo of these during a whole night.

Well, in general terms it is a good solution and at a considerable price, even in smaller and disposable sizes, so you have to choose.

Traps and glue

If you have already tried other methods and have not had any success, maybe this is your lifeline. These are surfaces full of a very sticky adhesive, with a space where the bait must be placed for rodents, once they come to look for their talk, the rat will be impregnated with glue and will not be able to escape.

These types of traps are really useful, they are disposable and allow to catch other annoying little bugs that are out there. The only problem is that the larger rats sometimes manage to sneak out and get away unharmed, but for smaller ones they work quite well.

Humanitarian traps

These have become very popular thanks to environmentalists and those who go against animal abuse. They consist of cages with a small trap that is activated once the rat catches the bait that has been placed on the surface. Of course, the rat does not die, so you should contact a pest control specialist to remove it from your home and take it away from there.

Home remedies to eradicate rats

Whether you can not or do not want to resort to the above mechanisms to eliminate rats, nothing happens! Here we have left you with some very effective home remedies that will help you to put an end to these annoying rodents in a safe and natural way.

Mentha x piperita to scare off rats

This medicinal plant has a very strong odor that is unpleasant for domestic rats, so you can make a mixture with 1 cup of water and 1 tablespoon of peppermint extract, pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray the liquid through the corners of your home, behind and under the furniture, and in all those places where these little animals can hide. With this you will manage to move them away and the best thing is that you will leave your house with a pleasant aroma of mint.

Ammonia to ward off rodents

The smell of ammonia is quite strong for any living being and especially for rats. You can make a mixture with water and ammonia and pour it in a container with spray to spray in all corners of your home. The repellent aroma will keep the rats away, because they will believe that there are much larger animals at home, given the similarity of the aroma of ammonia and the smell of urine.

However, we must bear in mind that this product is a bit harmful for plants, animals and even people, so we must be very careful when handling it.

Other tricks to get rid of rats

In addition to the home remedies that you have already seen, here you will find other phenomenal tricks that will help you to keep these animals away from your home and its surroundings.

Detergent and Tabasco to scare away rats

It may seem crazy but the tabasco sauce is one of the best ingredients to end the asuntillo of the rats. Just mix 1 cup of water, ½ cup of laundry detergent and 2 tablespoons Tabasco sauce, and apply the mixture to all corners and places, inside and outside the house, where you think there may be hidden rats. The strong aroma of this mixture will scare them away immediately.

We recommend repeating this trick once a month or every two months to prevent the vermin from invading again.

Cayenne pepper against rats

This spice is not only great for the kitchen, but also serves as a natural repellent against rodents. You can place small containers with cayenne pepper inside the cupboards, under the furniture and in all the places where these terrible bichillos can circulate, always making sure that you are out of the reach of your children and your pets. The smell of pepper will make the rats come out of hiding and leave your house.

If you do not have cayenne pepper, you can substitute it with clove and it will also work.