Top Tips For Keeping Rats Away From Your House

Top Tips For Keeping Rats Away From Your House

Rats are famously robust and difficult to get rid of once they move in.  A study has shown that rats do $9b worth of damage every year in the US.  This is despite all the trapping, repellent and poisoning methods known to humans.  Here are a few top tips to help you get rid of them.

• Food.  Don't leave dog or cat food out in the back yard overnight as this can entice rodents.  Don't leave food scraps lying around after meals, don't leave food on the floor or in the bottom of the larder as it will attract them to the area.  Put rubbish out in solid bins with well-fitting lids, definitely not in flimsy bags or cardboard containers.  Clean up spilt rubbish as soon as possible.

• Water.  Old paint tins and buckets behind the garage can keep the rats going; scoffing your stuff is thirsty work.

• Rat-deterrent flooring.  Equip yourself with some rat-deterrent flooring to keep them at bay. It creates a safe zone around your stuff, keeping it safe from their sharp little incisors. 

Warmth.  Check under floorboards and in cavity walls for signs of nests; they like hidden warm areas to start a family.  Human dwellings offer warmth and dryness which is hard to come by in the wild, making them very tempting places to live.