Published on July 9th, 2022

Last updated on February 6th, 2023

How To Get Rid Of Rats On Your Own? Complete Guide

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
rat eats furniture

If you want to get rid of rats but still have not found a working method, do not despair – rodents can be kicked out! We will tell you how to get rid of rats in houses and apartments, about rat poisons and poisons, how effective electronic ultrasonic repellers are and why it is better to take upholstered furniture out of the room when using them. Is it possible to scare away rodents with essential oils alone, and is it worth trusting grandmother’s folk advice on getting rid of mice? You will find answers to all questions below.

There are many methods of dealing with rodents that will not give them the opportunity to drive you crazy and destroy your home. But you must be ready to wage a complex struggle. I will tell you how to drive rats out of the house, in what ways you can scare away or kill such unwanted neighbors, and how to make sure that they no longer appear on your territory – in an apartment or a private house.

Fight Rodents: Possible Methods And Their Effectiveness

rodent is sitting on piece of cheese

Any reasonable person will refuse a dangerous neighborhood and try to find the best way to get rid of rats and mice. But where to start?

  • Mousetraps. These are very affordable devices. There are different types and principles of action, but they have the same essence – to catch, strangle and throw away. To some, this will seem like a primitive and outdated method, but the effectiveness speaks for itself. Arrange them in the places where rodents are most common. You can identify them using residual droppings or the presence of holes in the wall, even the smallest. A piece of bread as bait – and the mouse is already caught!
  • Poison. It is a very effective way to get rid of rats in the house since mice and rats also need water. Mix a dose of concentrated poison with ordinary soda and pour into a container. Leave in inconspicuous places, such as in the kitchen corner or under the sink. When choosing a poison, pay attention to the content of vitamin D3. If rodents eat their fellows, re-poisoning is impossible. In other words, this method will only work on the mouse that takes the poison.
  • Repellents. They influence not only those who fall into the zone of action but also scare away their fellows. Antipathy to mint is characteristic of all rodents. Consider planting a few bushes of this plant around your home or placing pieces of it in the corners. In addition, ultrasonic waves are considered one of the best ways to get rid of rats in the house. The human body is immune to them, but small pests are very sensitive and always strive to escape as far as possible from the source. No dirty work. The rodents will scatter themselves. The installation of such a repellent is possible in the house and in the yard. Efficiency will be enough for neighboring areas.
  • Deratization. It is the most common method to exterminate rodents in cities. The chemicals that are used in bullying are non-volatile and spread exclusively along the lower part of the dwelling, thereby falling into various cracks, even if you did not notice them.

Any of the above methods are effective only if the owners themselves will keep order in their house.

Rat Poison: How To Use In The House?

rat is eating poisoned yummy
Use of rat poison in house should be careful

Poisoned baits (rodenticides) are the best way to massively and quickly get rid of rats in the house. They are divided into 2 categories: 

  • chronic poisons (containing anticoagulants);
  • acute poisoning. 

The former (including bromadiolone and brodifacoum) disrupt the blood’s ability to clot. They cause bleeding – as a result, rodents die from internal hemorrhages. The latter is no less toxic but acts differently: they lead to kidney, liver or other failures, and then to death.

Poisons can have a cumulative effect or kill immediately after the first dose – it all depends on the specific brand of poison and the active ingredient. Usually, poisons with anticoagulants in the composition take from several days to a couple of weeks to kill all pests. But no one knows exactly where each rat will eventually die – it can happen both in your house and on the street if you’re lucky.

Rat Elimination In The Home: Use An Ultrasonic Repeller

Ultrasonic repeller to fight rats in home
Ultrasonic repeller to fight rats in home

Suppose you are against bloody methods of fighting and are just looking for a way to drive rats out of your house (as well as your apartment, office, warehouse, etc.), use electronic ultrasonic repellers. These are small devices that act on rodents with ultrasound, causing them to flee in panic from the source of the waves. Repellers can be quite effective if you are looking for an alternative way to get rid of rats in the house. In addition, it is safe for people and pets.

Most often, rodent repellers work from the mains – to activate the device, you just need to plug it into a power outlet. But for a small apartment and a large house, completely different models with different power and types of exposure will be required.

How To Use A Repeller Correctly?

Ultrasound is well reflected from hard materials (wood, concrete, glass), but it is also well absorbed by soft materials – curtains, carpets, upholstered furniture, and products in soft containers. Therefore, the less furniture and other items in the room with the repeller, the better the ultrasonic device will work on rodents and the faster you will see the result. So, it is considered one of the best ways to get rid of rats and mice.

Ultrasound is not able to penetrate walls: each infected room will require a separate repeller. Although such repellents are safe, it is not recommended to stay at a distance of fewer than 2 m from the switched-on device for a long time. When using a repeller, remove domestic rodents such as hamsters and guinea pigs from the premises: ultrasound will also cause anxiety, fear, and panic.

From the point of view of scientists, if ultrasonic devices could not expel rodents from the premises within 2-3 weeks of constant operation, another method should be used for rat elimination in the home.

Preventive Measures

housewife is mopping kitchen
It is better to prevent the problem reason than to fight with consequences

To prevent the appearance of such “guests”, you should follow the basic rules:

  • Remove any food sources for rodents, such as crumbs, pet food, cereals, etc. Clean your rooms regularly;
  • Store food in special sealed containers made of plastic or glass, and do not leave unpacked bags from the store on the floor for a long time. A few minutes will be enough for “starving” while you are distracted;
  • Seal up all the cracks in the house and ventilation, and put iron bars instead of a dense mesh (believe me, it does not stop rats).

All of the above methods of rat elimination in the home show excellent results. By entrusting the problem to real professionals, you can forget about the problem of re-invasion. Make sure that you have a complete understanding of the quality and price of the company’s work that you plan to let into the house to resolve such a delicate issue.

FAQ

How to get rid of rodents?

The best way to quickly get rid of mice is to use traps and special baits. They must be placed in the most vulnerable places: behind the walls and garbage containers.