02/26/201702/26/2017 Maria Ivanova 2 comments
A peculiar stereotype is the opinion that the appearance of rats is possible only in one’s own home, but not in apartments. However, the urban environment has many attractions for rats. Basements, attics, cluttered hallways, and garbage chutes become excellent homes for them. Accordingly, residents of the first floors suffer from rodent infestations more often than other apartment residents.
The appearance of a rat in an apartment is the last thing any sane person dreams of. And it’s not just that these rodents damage supplies, can damage wiring by cutting wires, and harm pets.
The danger is that rodents are carriers of various dangerous infectious diseases. Neighborhood with such a dangerous guest is unlikely to please anyone.
It is known that within a month a rat is capable of breeding about 20 offspring. This means that you should not hesitate to exterminate the rodent and find out ways to catch the rat.
Before you start exterminating your new neighbor, it’s worth finding out how the animal got into the apartment and sealing the passage. Rats are very cunning and voracious animals. They use any loopholes to get into the house and solve the problem of food.
- 1 Useful tips for rodent control
- 2 Folk remedies for getting rid of rodents
- 3 Ways to exterminate rats in an apartment
- 4 Lethal rodent traps
- 5 Security measures
Why does a rat escape from its cage?
No owner is immune from the escape of a beloved pet. Animals have different personalities - you probably have a tireless researcher who wants to explore every nook and cranny of the apartment.
Escape from the cell can also occur for another reason - due to stress. Tamed rats know how to empathize, feel sorry for their owner when he is sad, and even drink away his tears.
But small rodents also need support. If you just bought a pet or moved with it to a new apartment, be extremely careful and attentive.
A frightened animal may hide in a hard-to-reach place if it does not feel safe in its house.
Traditional methods of getting rid of rats
Rats have been living alongside humans for many centuries. During this time, many folk methods have been invented to get rid of intrusive rodents. Experts advise starting to fight them as soon as their presence becomes noticeable, because pasyuki are extremely prolific. One female can give birth to up to hundreds of rat pups within a year.
Newborn rat pups grow very quickly
Traditional methods are good because they do not involve the use of toxic chemicals.
Alabaster, gypsum and putty in powder form
Gypsum or alabaster must be mixed with flour in a 1:1 ratio. Then sprinkle it on the floor near the cracks and openings where rodents have been observed. Place containers of water nearby so that rats can drink from them.
A mixture of gypsum and flour is destructive for pasyuki
The mixture, once in the gastrointestinal tract, hardens there and causes the death of the animal. A mixture of putty and semolina has a similar effect, only in this case the resulting composition swells.
Soda, crushed glass and cork
You should mix soda, flour and sugar in equal proportions and place the resulting composition near the habitats of rodents. After eating the mixture and drinking water, a strong release of gases will begin in the esophagus of rodents. The gas produced is poisonous to rats, so they die as a result of poisoning.
Baking soda is an indispensable product in the household.
It turns out that Pasyuks will happily eat broken glass if you mix it with crushed strong-smelling soap or with bread. Of course, the use of such a mixture is an inhumane method, since the animals die in agony, with their intestines torn.
The glass must be crushed in such a way that rats can easily swallow it
Another product that swells in the gastrointestinal tract of rats and causes their death is ground cork. In order for rodents to feast on the bait, you should mix it with bread and season it with homemade sunflower oil. In this case, success will be guaranteed.
To prepare the bait, you can use any corks - both champagne and wine.
Ash
People have long noticed that rats do not live in places where there has recently been a fire. It turns out that ash has a negative effect on them. It irritates the sensitive pads of pasyukov's paws due to the alkali included in its composition.
Scatter the ash from the stove near the rat holes and you won't see rodents there anymore
Animals lick ash from the surface of their paws, after which it enters their esophagus, which causes even greater irritation of the mucous membranes. As a result, the animals are forced to leave their burrows.
Plants that repel rodents
The most effective way to get rid of rats in your yard is to plant plants that they hate. One of them is black root, which is also called rat racer. Rodents cannot tolerate the plant because of its specific odor, which humans cannot smell.
Rat killer - black root plant
Blackroot contains a substance that destroys the nervous system of pasyuks. Therefore, the crushed root of the plant can be used to prepare poisonous mixtures. It should be remembered that this root is poisonous not only to animals, but also to humans. Therefore, you should not take it with your bare hands - only with gloves.
Coriander (cilantro) seeds and stems are good for repelling rodents
You can remove rats from the area in another ancient way - by planting coriander there. With the same success, stems and seeds collected in the fall will force pasyuki to leave houses, pantries and basements. Just like cilantro, you can use mint stems. For humans, this plant has a pleasant smell, but bees and mice cannot tolerate it.
Rat packs cannot tolerate the aroma of mint essential oils, which people have been using for many centuries.
Many summer residents and rural residents grow tomatoes. In this case, do not rush to throw away the tomato tops - their specific aroma allows you to get rid of the presence of rats. The most powerful effect is found on stems collected in the fall. Chop them finely and scatter them near areas where rodents have been spotted.
Tomato tops have many beneficial properties
Owners of personal plots try to get rid of wormwood as an unnecessary weed. The plant is associated with desolation and grows mostly in vacant lots, but it can significantly help in the fight against rats. In addition to the stems, which emit a persistent, specific aroma, a strong decoction of wormwood is used to repel pests, which is sprayed in places where they appear.
There is no need to grow wormwood - its bushes appear on their own in unexpected places
In conclusion, I would like to note that there are many ways to get rid of rats in the house and on the property, you just need to choose the best one. Remember that the use of chemicals to bait rats in residential areas is unacceptable.
How to find an escaped rat in an apartment?
Escape from a cage is a headache for the owner. Therefore, it is better to prevent a problem than to solve it later. The first time after moving, it is better to darken the cage - just put the old clothes you wore on it.
Under natural conditions, animals prefer dark burrows hidden from prying eyes. With this simple trick, the rat will quickly get used to the new environment and your smell.
However, even the most attentive and caring owners may encounter the escape of their pet. The main thing is not to panic. The success of the operation to return the rodent to its home depends on your confident, calm and timely actions.
We turn to professionals
Our company professionally deals with the deratization and extermination of rats in Moscow and the Moscow region and the prevention of their occurrence. Before starting work, we carefully inspect basements, ground floors, adjacent areas, and, if necessary, roofs and attics of apartment buildings.
In our work we use special preparations that we spray using hot and cold fog, as well as using smoke bombs. When using them in the basement, we must notify all residents of the house. All necessary licenses and sanitary documents are available. Contact us to get rid of an unpleasant neighborhood.
Favorite places for a rat to hide
If you are just preparing for the first meeting of a new tenant, then you need to prepare thoroughly. It's not just about a darkened cage and suitable food. Now is the time to fix holes in the floor or walls that you've never gotten around to.
Keep it clean and tidy; scattered things not only make your home look unkempt, but are also good for hiding. After inconsolable searches in the most unusual places, you may suddenly find an animal among them.
Experienced owners advise looking at your apartment through the eyes of a rodent. What secluded place will you choose in case of danger if you are the size of your palm?
You need to start the search operation from your pets’ favorite places:
- Between the wall and furniture.
- In newspapers and magazines.
- In plastic bags.
- In the closet with clothes.
Do not forget that the choice of place often depends on the nature of the animal and its habits. If a decorative rat fearlessly crawls under the ceiling with the grace of a circus performer, then first of all check the mezzanines and upper shelves of the closet.
Calm lovers of cozy houses can be found between the pillows in the bed or on the sofa. Knowing the character of the animal, catching a domestic rat will not be difficult.
Precautionary measures
The cage door should always close securely. Rats are smart animals; it will not be difficult for them to deftly open a poorly closed door with their teeth and paws. Even a tightly closed latch can be easily opened by the animal. Therefore, it is better to use a special carbine as a lock. You can use a stationery clip - it will hold the door tightly, and it is easy for the owner to install and remove.
A rat that has recently appeared in the house may be simply scared at first - it is frightened by new sounds and smells. This is a normal phenomenon, especially if the animal was born in a pet store or at a pet market. There he was constantly in the company of his own kind, and not people, and for this reason he was a little wild. The rat must be accustomed to its name, it should not be afraid of its owner, it should respond to the name and come running when called.
How not to harm an animal?
During the search, it is important not to harm the defenseless pet, so be extremely careful. First of all, analyze what dangers a rodent may encounter in the apartment.
Turn off all electrical appliances and the stove, remove hot food, cover pots of water and the toilet lid. Move furniture with caution, as any sudden movement can cause pain to your pet or even cause its death.
Check each item before sitting or standing on it.
You can harm the animal even after the fugitive is found. Sometimes the owners grab the animal by the tail and hold it upside down. This behavior is unacceptable. The rodent will be comfortable if you carefully take it by the body, place it in your palm, and then take it to the cage.
Methods of dealing with rat packs
There are several methods for getting rid of rodents. The most common are:
- Biological is an old and proven method. Cats and dogs - man's oldest friends - successfully cope with pasyuki.
- Mechanical has also proven its effectiveness. The first rat traps were invented by people more than 100 years ago. Now the industry offers many options for traps for catching beavers.
- Technological - allows you to use the latest achievements of science in the form of devices for scaring animals.
- Chemical – very popular lately. With the help of baits poisoned with pesticides, it is convenient to exterminate rat swarms.
- Folk - represents the experience accumulated by generations of people in the fight against rodent infestations.
Rat populations are so prolific that it is not possible to limit their habitats.
Biological method
Everyone knows that rats and cats are irreconcilable enemies. Cats are able to save the situation, even if it becomes catastrophic. For example, on the island of Kalimantan, rodents destroyed rice crops on a huge scale until cats were brought there. Something similar is happening in Colombia, which constantly buys cats to fight rats. In addition to destroying crops, pasyuki bite Colombians everywhere, spreading infectious diseases.
Quite often, cats defeat rodents that are almost as big as them
For more than 200 years, people have been training dogs to kill pasyuks. Specially bred breeds of dogs - rat terriers and Andalusian tavern rat-catchers - cope best with such tasks. The productivity of their work is simply amazing: in one day one dog can neutralize more than 1000 rodents. Hunting breeds such as smooth fox terriers, miniature pinschers and Russian toy terriers have also proven themselves well.
The hunting instincts of dogs are perfectly manifested when neutralizing rat families.
The biological method is one of the best when you need to get rid of rats in an apartment on the ground floor. There is no need to kill the pasyuks yourself, which is especially important if there are small children in the family. They will leave on their own if they sense the presence of a cat or dog.
Various traps
Another environmentally friendly method of rodent control is the use of rat traps and live traps. The most common are simple traps, similar in design to mousetraps, only slightly larger in size. They can be used if there are few rodents in the room.
Classic rat trap with wooden base
The principle of operation of the device is simple: the smell of the bait attracts the victim and he decides to try it. When touched, a powerful spring is activated and the animal, not having time to dodge, is pressed to the base. In most cases, falling into a trap ends in the death of the pasyuk. But there are also designs that keep rats alive (see photo).
Touching the bait causes the door to slam shut
If in the first case the owner can only dispose of the carcasses of rodents, then when using a cage the animals have to be killed independently, which not everyone can do. Rats, being smart, quickly learn to avoid dangerous places. Therefore, only a few instances can be caught in the trap, and then it will remain empty.
A glue-based trap is not the most humane means for catching beavers
Rat traps with a sticky base in the form of plates or containers with low sides are popular. The glue attracts the bees with its smell, so they fall into the trap. There is nothing humane here, since the animals die long and painfully, emitting a heart-rending squeal. It is best to use these devices in places where people rarely visit.
One of the successful rat trap designs is described in this video:
Ultrasonic repellers
In order not to kill rodents, it is better to create conditions in which they cannot live. This method of struggle is used in residential buildings and apartments where children live, so as not to traumatize their psyche. Ultrasonic repellers of varying power cope well with this task. They have no effect on human senses, while rats are panicked by ultrasonic waves in a certain frequency range.
Ultrasonic repeller "Tornado" copes well with its tasks
In order to correctly select the power of the device, you need to know the area of the room in which rodents must disappear. Since the household appliance operates on a 220 V network, there must be an outlet in the room. The disadvantage of this method is that pasyuki can, over time, get used to a specific frequency of radiation and will no longer be afraid of it.
You can see how an ultrasonic rat repeller works in this video:
Pesticide
Today, the industry produces many types of chemicals that can get rid of bugs. These toxic substances are called rodenticides. Their main disadvantage is toxicity. Therefore, such drugs cannot be used near places where people live. This method of extermination should be resorted to only where people are relatively rare.
Pesticides can have different ways of affecting the pasyukov’s body.
Rodenticides are available in the form of powders, granules, and briquettes. There are varieties offered to customers in the form of suspensions and aerosols. The effectiveness of different drugs depends on the living conditions of the rats and the characteristics of each specific room. Animals quickly adapt to the effects of poisons, so some of them may not have an effect on a particular population.
The main condition for the use of chemicals is strict adherence to the instructions. Otherwise people may get hurt.
Search algorithm
When unplanned events happen, it can be easy to feel lost. What to do if the rat runs away and you suddenly find an empty cage?
- The most important thing is to calm down. Think about where in the apartment the baby could get hurt, immediately turn off electrical appliances and hide anything that could burn him.
- Limit your search area. Close doors and windows carefully.
- Check out your pet's favorite spots.
- Continue searching in places that may interest the animal. Decorative rats, of course, are not chameleons, but rodents are excellent at “merging” with surrounding objects. The owners note that sometimes they can be detected only by touch - they can camouflage themselves so professionally.
- Listen carefully to every sound. Turn off the TV and radio, let the silence in the apartment be ideal during the search. There was a rustling sound - immediately look for the source of the sound.
What attracts rats and why they are dangerous
For Pasyuks, the search for food and procreation come first. They have long realized that these instincts are best satisfied near a person’s home, so they try to settle where they can feast on food waste, slop and other things. They are attracted to indoor odors, so they are rarely found in places that are clean and tidy.
Tailed rodents are omnivores and use every possible means to get to leftover food.
Rats really like shops, warehouses and pantries where grains, flour, all kinds of cereals and similar food supplies are stored. Food industry enterprises, including cafes and restaurants, are their favorite habitats.
The fact that rats destroy food and damage property is not the most important reason why you should get rid of them. It is also necessary to protect yourself from toothy pests because they are carriers of dangerous diseases, such as tuberculosis, scabies, plague, typhoid and other rapidly spreading infections.
Rats chew on everything, including cables, and this often causes serious damage and fires.
How to quickly catch a decorative rat?
Regular searches can take a long time and be fruitless. There are other ways to detect a traveler - experienced hosts offer many options.
Call by name
Taming a decorative rat will not be difficult. A warm attitude is important. Give him a nickname right away and teach him the name - during feeding, repeat it affectionately over and over again. Soon the rodent will react immediately to familiar sounds by running out to you. This pet skill will work in your favor if the rat goes on the run.
Lure with a tasty treat
If the pet does not respond to its name, then you can try another effective method. Remember the fairy tale about Hansel and Gretel, who were looking for their way home with the help of bread crumbs? Try catching your favorite rodent in your apartment using this method. Lay out a trail of your favorite treats and watch carefully to see if the fugitive comes out of hiding.
Place a cage nearby
After a long walk and new impressions, the pet will sooner or later get hungry. If you find a place where a rodent is hiding, but you can’t get it out yourself, then you can move the cage with treats inside. Keep an eye on the rat from its hiding place so as not to scare away the brave traveler.
Important! The food in the cage must be liquid, otherwise the pet may grab the treat and run away from the house again.
Using a bucket
If the usual methods do not work, then you can adopt unusual ideas. The ingenuity of rodent owners is enviable. Many ways have been invented to catch a pet rat using a bucket; the activity is easy to carry out at home. For example, you can place a ruler on the edge of a stool and secure it.
The other edge is pulled forward over the bucket and a small bait is placed on it. The rat follows the smell and runs down. It is important that the pet is not injured if it falls, so you need to put something soft and bulky at the bottom of the bucket.
Bait Products
You can catch a rat in a private house only with the help of fragrant bait. The animal, having smelled her scent, will definitely come to her location. Without treats, catching rodents will be fruitless.
Rat bait can be anything, but it is better to use the following food products:
- Cheese;
- Sausages;
- Porridge;
- Cereal mixtures;
- Bread, pastries;
- Smoked products;
- Cottage cheese.
Can you tame a wild rat?
There are suggestions that wild rats can be tamed. But the process of gaining trust itself will require much more time, patience and effort. Especially if the pasyuk is already an adult.
By nature, wild rats are cautious, timid and reserved. They are wary of people, constantly hiding and running away from danger. Therefore, it will be very difficult to establish contact with them.
The main thing is not to touch them initially, much less try to lift them. Animals will perceive such actions as aggression, start screaming loudly and try to run away. You should not touch the rat during 2-3 weeks of living in a new home.
There are times when rats refuse a treat offered by hand. Then you can skip one feeding session so that the animal feels hungry. However, under no circumstances should you starve a wild rat for too long, as this will make it aggressive.
A wild rat cannot be tamed for several months. However, with patience, kindness and regularity, a positive result will be achieved.
Features of using rat poison in the house
The poison should be placed in places inaccessible to children and pets. While working, observe basic personal safety measures: wear rubber gloves, do not touch your face with your hands and, of course, do not eat food. After completing the process, discard the gloves and wash with soap.
Attention! Rat poison is dangerous to humans. The consequences can vary: from mild illness to death. First of all, it depends on the age of the person, the amount of poison that has entered the body, and the activity of the liver.
Symptoms depend on the action of the active substance. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and loss of consciousness are observed when using immediate-acting chemicals. To prevent this from happening, you must adhere to safety measures. Better yet, let a specialized service handle this.
If you are unable to get rid of rats in your apartment, you should not delay deratization. Otherwise, several tunnels will soon form in the home, through which the “tailed neighbors” will calmly move.
Quick traps
If rats are bothering you, it is not at all necessary to immediately run to the store for a complex design. You can do without a mousetrap with a little ingenuity and skill. Attract with treats that are available in the refrigerator.
Bucket traps
Simple fishing methods that do not require special skills. The container is used in a straight position, upside down.
- The bucket is filled halfway with water, and a newspaper is secured at the top with tape. Sprinkle with grain, flour, sugar. A ladder in the form of a stick is placed near the container. The animal climbs for food, breaks through the newspaper, and falls. Instead of paper, seed husks, straw, and leaves are laid out on top of the water.
- Turn the bucket over and place a small board on its edge, lifting the container. The bait is placed in the center. The rodent crawls inside, touches the board with clumsy movements, and the trap closes. To prevent escape, the structure must be placed on a solid base. The rat is capable of digging. Instead of a bucket, use a heavy pot for indoor plants.
A homemade method of control helps to lure the pest out at night from behind the closet or from under the bathtub.
Plastic bottle
You will need a large container of at least 5 liters:
- Cut off the top part and insert it inside in the form of a watering can.
- Place bait in the bottle. Lubricate with vegetable oil.
- Fix the parts with tape.
- Place in a horizontal position with a slight slope.
The rat crawls into the bottle, the container turns over. The rodent will not be able to crawl out; the slippery walls will not allow it.
On a note!
You can catch rodents in the bathroom by simply filling the bathtub with cold water every night. Place bait on the edge. The rat will try to walk along the edge and slip. The advantage of the method is that a dozen large rodents can fit in the bathroom.
