How To Kill Rats
One thing people regularly ask is how do you kill rats? In our professional opinion, you should use only one method to eliminate these large rodents if they get into your McAllen home, which is with snap traps. The trick with this method is to act fast after rats invade. As soon as you know your home has a problem, go to the store and buy high-quality rat snap traps and a jar of peanut butter. We recommend using peanut butter over cheese because it is much harder to remove and requires rodents to lick at it, increasing the chances of a trap going off. When you get home with these things, bait the traps and place them in areas you suspect rats are traveling, such as in the back of pantries and cupboards. If you catch a couple of these large rodents within a week and notice an end to your problems, great! If not, consider the fact that rats reproduce rapidly and that your infestation could grow beyond the reach of snap traps quickly.
DIY Control Strategies To Avoid
Apart from snap traps, there are two other ways that McAllen homeowners try to remove rats from their homes. The first is with rodenticides. We consider this method a bad idea because of the dangers it poses. If used improperly or in the wrong amounts, rodenticides are harmful to both humans and pets. The second method we recommend you avoid is sticky traps. In our experience, this method is not as effective as snap traps and is ten times less humane as rats trapped don't die immediately but instead struggle to break bones and gnaw on their limbs before eventually dying of dehydration.
Some Methods To Deter Rats
If your McAllen home does not currently have a rat infestation, you should take some time to put in place preventative measures to make sure things stay that way. Keep these large rodents outside of your living areas by using these helpful tips and tricks today.
- Use some steel wool and caulk to fill in holes, gaps, and cracks in your home's exterior foundation.
- Make sure your window and door screens are in good working condition.
- Keep unscreened doors, and windows closed when they are not in use.
- Clean up any clutter in and around your home.
- Trim your grass and keep up with your landscaping.
- Clean your home regularly and address food and drink messes as they occur.
- Address moisture issues in and around your home.
Why You Should Consider Professional Rodent Control For Your Rat Problems
To stay protected from diseases rats carry, let our team of technicians at BUGWORKS Termite & Pest Control lend you a helping hand. We know how to remove these large rodents from properties in a way that doesn't threaten human health. We also offer long-term rodent control options in McAllen, TX to keep rats away after removing them from your home.
Call our team today with questions about the services we offer or to discover more about our comprehensive rat control plans and schedule your McAllen property for a visit.