Norway rats are adept survivalists both inside and outside of the home. Outside, their paranoia, intelligence, and social structures help them survive predators and harsh conditions. Inside, these traits help them survive our control efforts.
Why control efforts fail
There are several reasons why rat control efforts end up being ineffective. Let’s start with the bait. You have to use the right bait to catch rats. Common knowledge is that rats like cheese, so you might think that it would be a good idea to use cheese as bait. However, rats are very paranoid, and they will not abandon a known food source, such as a cereal box or pet food, for a food source that is not much more nutritious. So they are not very likely to go for certain baits. To ensure that you’re using the right bait, you might have to do some tests, but if you stick with candy, meat, and especially peanut butter, you are likely to see much better results.
Positioning is also important. Rats will not go too much out in the open in order to get food, because it’s too risky. Baits will have to be placed close to the pathways that rats use to travel around the home.
Finally, rats will avoid areas where other rats have died, so while you may see some initial success with your traps or poisons, this success rate will go down as more rats die. In order to counteract this, you will have to switch up the baits that you use and the positions where you place them. If using traps, you may also have to use different devices.
Implementing proper control strategies
Implementing proper control strategies is essential when dealing with rats because of their high reproductive capacity. If you do not remove the infestation fast enough or completely, the rats will repopulate and reinfest the building. This is why it’s usually best to avoid using the DIY approach when dealing with these rodents, and why it’s recommended that you hire a pro for the job.
Pest control professionals have the tools needed to make sure that the rat population is removed quickly and completely, and that the odds of reinfestation are low. Contact us today if you have any questions about effective control methods, or if you have a rat infestation in your home that you need removed.
