Learn About Rats

• Rats require roughly one ounce of food a day and a half ounce of water.
• They can gnaw through plastic, wood, soft metals, wire, and even cinder block and brick.
• Rats can squeeze into very small spaces.

Find the Rats

• Routinely check the perimeter of your home, yard, sheds, and fences for evidence of burrows.
• Check trash barrels for gnawed holes on the bottom and sides.
• Use rodent-proof containers with tight-fitting lids for garbage and other trash.
• Do not store or place trash out for pickup in bags only.
• Use rodent-proof containers to store food and pet food.
• Clean up after pets, including leftover food and pet waste.
• Be aware of rodent activity around outdoor gardens and fruit plants.
• Wash trash and recycling containers and the areas around them frequently.

Evict the Rats

• Plug holes in floors and walls with wire mesh such as copper, stainless steel, or aluminum.
• For interior holes, cover the mesh with spackle, plaster, or hardening sealant.
• Repair broken windows, doors, screens, and roofs.
• Repair or remove dilapidated fences, sheds, and garages.
• Remove abandoned vehicles, appliances, construction debris, wood piles, and tires from yards.
• Routinely mow lawns and trim shrubbery.
• Put bird food in feeders only, avoid overfeeding, store seed in sealed containers, and clean up spills daily.
• If you have a substantial rat issue, remove bird feeders for the time being.

Exterminate the Rats

The best way to deal with rats on your property is to hire a licensed pest management professional who uses Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices. Ask to see their Massachusetts license.

• Never allow traps or poison to be placed where children or pets can reach them.
• If you perform pest control yourself, carefully read and follow all labels on traps and poison.
• Place traps where activity has been noted and no more than 20 feet apart.
• When emptying a trap or disposing of a dead rat, do not handle it with your bare hands. Use gloves or tools and place them in a trash receptacle.

Prevent the Rats

Rats have a very sensitive sense of smell, which they use to find food, but strong odors may also help deter them. Some repellents can be effective, though rats may eventually become tolerant of them. In many cases, every preventive step helps.

Common options include:

• Ammonia
• Peppermint oil
• Castor oil
• Citronella oil

Soak several cotton balls in the oil or chemical you are using and place them around garbage cans and other areas where rats may be present.

Why You Shouldn’t Use Rat Poison in the Home

Rat poison is often advertised as an effective way to get rid of mice, but using it in the home can lead to dangerous, unintended consequences. While it may kill some rodents, it does not fully solve the problem and may introduce additional risks.

Unintended Victims

Rat poison can put pets and young children at risk. Pellets may attract toddlers because of their size and appearance. Pets can also accidentally ingest poison directly or by eating a rodent that has already consumed it.

Harmful to the Environment

Rat poison can also affect wildlife. Predators and scavengers that eat poisoned rodents may become sick or die. Poison left on the ground may also be consumed directly by other animals. These impacts can extend well beyond the original pest problem.

It Misses the Problem

Poison may kill individual rodents, but it does not remove nests, droppings, grease marks, or the entry points that allowed rodents into the home in the first place. It is often only a temporary fix and may leave dead rodents inside walls or hidden spaces.

A Better Long-Term Approach

A more effective long-term solution is professional rodent removal combined with exclusion and sanitation. Trained professionals can inspect the home, remove rodents, identify how they are getting in, and recommend preventive steps to help keep them from returning.