Fastest Way To Get Rid Of Rats

Anytime you notice rats on your property, it is the natural reaction to want them gone as quickly as possible. There are multiple problems associated with rats, from the diseases they can spread via their waste products or contact with food to the fact that they tend to shred and chew everything they can find to create nests. These risks will always be minimized if you are able to reduce the time that the rats are in your home, so use the following method to get rid of rats as quickly as possible.



Use Snap Traps
The quickest method of removing rats will typically be to use multiple snap traps. Set up at least a dozen or so in the area that the rodents are spending their time or nesting and wait for the results; it shouldn’t take long. Snap traps are the most humane method of killing rats as they do so instantly with no suffering at all. Just be sure to set enough to catch most of the rats in the first go as they may be more hesitant when you reset the traps. Even so, empty the traps and be sure to set them again, repeating the process until you know the rats are gone.

Get Professional Help
Of course, if you want the absolute fastest way to get rid of rats, it would be hiring a professional. They will use snap traps as recommended above, but their expertise allows them to place them in the ideal spot and catch all of the rodents incredibly quickly. They will also be able to offer suggestions as to how to keep rats and other nuisance wildlife away in the future.

Stop New Rats From Coming
Keep in mind that just because you successfully got rid of the rats, that doesn’t mean that your work is done. Unless you take care of the source of the issue, more rats will arrive to replace the ones you get rid of. There are two important aspects of stopping new rats: creating physical barriers so they can’t get in and removing attractants like food sources and shelter. Physical barriers can be as simple as keeping up with your home repairs and ensuring there are no gaps in vents, walls, or other areas. Remember that rats can fit through spaces as small as a quarter. To remove attractants, get rid of additional clutter in your home that serves as hiding spots and be sure to never leave leftover food accessible, including pet food and garbage.

Will Using Light Or Sound Get Rid Of The Rats?
You may see advertisements or recommendations for sound machines or light machines to get rid of rats. These products claim to get the rodents to leave almost immediately, but any professional wildlife expert will tell you that they are simply a waste of money. No rat is going to leave its home just because you of an annoying sound or light. They know that leaving their shelter is a guarantee of death as they search for a new place to live; predators will find them. To make matters worse, you would have to leave the strobe light or sound machine on 24/7 to keep the rats away after getting rid of them in the first place. So instead of getting rid of the rats quickly, you won’t even notice any results over time.

Will Using Home Remedies Get Rid Of Them?
There are also dozens of suggestions for various home remedies that claim to get rid of rats and keep them away. Unfortunately, these won’t work either, and certainly not do so quickly. This is just as true if you choose peppermint oil as selecting chile powder or moth balls. To make matters worse, some products, like moth balls, also carry a health risk for you and your family.

Would Poisoning Rats Work?
Since the best way to get rid of rats quickly is to kill them via snap traps, you may be tempted to assume that poison is equally effective and quick. That couldn’t be farther from the truth, however. Assuming you choose a rat poison that is effective, it will not work instantly. The rat will suffer for at least a day or so, giving it ample time to find a nice, cozy place to die. While you will have gotten rid of the living rats, you will have a more challenging problem on your hand: finding the dead ones. Dead rats can pose even more problems than alive ones as they won’t venture into snap traps. Instead, you have to figure out where they died and remove them before they begin smelling or even rotting and attracting flies. When it comes to killing rats, always stick to snap traps as they are humane and effective plus get the job done quickly.