Removing Rats Without Killing or Poison

There are many ways to deal with rat problems. Poisons are not always the preferred option since they can harm pets or toddlers. Sometimes the use of poisons indoors might also be toxic to you, and some of them cause slow and painful deaths for rats. Furthermore, sometimes you do not want to kill the rats; you just want them out of your house or property.

There are ways to remove rats without killing them or using poison. The best possible humane route is to find the entry point and install a one-way door to evict them humanely. But it’s not easy finding the rat entry points into a home, sometimes there’s many.

Most of the time as a property owner or tenant, you might have to rely on live traps to catch the rats when they are already on your property. Alternatively, you can adopt some measures that will make your home uncomfortable for the rats. 

This article will tell you about the various types of live traps you can set up around your property to remove rats without killing them. Then we’ll talk about the different measures you can practice to ensure rats don’t bother you anymore.

Live traps to remove rats without killing

Here are some different types of live traps you can set up, allowing you to trap rats without killing them. With these traps, you can release the rats elsewhere later.

1. Bucket Trap

The bucket trap is a mechanism that lures rats into falling into buckets they can’t get out of. It involves setting up and adequately baiting one or more ladder-like structures to allow the rats to climb to the bucket’s top. At the top, a portion of the bucket cover will, in reality, be a false cover ensuring the rats fall into the bucket once they get on that section. Inside the bucket, you can rub some oil on the sides to make it more difficult for the rats to get out of it.

This live trap is, in our experience, very effective when baited properly. It can catch multiple rats at a time, and you can set it up in different areas to deal with an infestation. You can find how to build your bucket rat trap here or purchase one here.

We don’t recommend the other live traps on this list as much as the bucket trap, but as other options you can also consider.

2. Repeater Traps

Most repeater traps are designed to prevent already captured rats from escaping while catching more rats. Their design often employs multiple cages, with the capture areas separate and inaccessible from the holding area. Some repeater traps also allow you to keep rats in the holding area for several days by making the feeding area accessible to rats in the holding cage. Repeater traps, like most traps, use baits to attract the rat. A mechanism around the bait is often triggered when rats approach, causing rats to fall into the holding cage after falling for the bait.

3. Pitfall Traps

Pitfall traps are common, not only for rats but for other rodents and even small mammals. The mechanism for pitfall traps is similar to bucket traps. However, most pitfall traps require digging actual pits instead of the ladder-like structures necessary for bucket traps. Once you dig the pits, you place a collection container in them. You then cover the pit with a spinning platform not strong enough to support the weight of a rat, and bait is applied. This way, once the rat approaches the bait, the platform spins and dumps the rat into the pit.

4. Cage Traps

Cage traps are a lot like repeater traps and are the most common form of live traps. However, regular cage traps are not separated into compartments and will only capture one rat or animal at a time.

In 1974, there was a study to see how rats reacted to the bottom three traps on this list, and they discovered that the repeater trap was, to an extent, the most efficient. You can read more about that study here. We still primarily recommend the bucket trap since it is highly effective and cheap. However, you can opt for the repeater trap if you want something else.

Live traps work great and often get the job done. Nevertheless, they might not always be the best choice. A study from the University of Chicago has shown that rats could work together to free another trapped rat due to their empathetic nature. They are also neophobic and can learn to avoid traps.

Trapping when the need arises is not always the best formula. As they say, “prevention is better than cure,” and there are a few steps you can take to ensure rats never bother you.

How to make rats uncomfortable in your home

Alternatively, you can implement these measures once you successfully remove all the rats in your home to prevent a recurrence.

1. Cleanliness

Rats often thrive in dirty environments because it provides them with food and shelter. Unnecessary clutter can provide rats with hiding places and obscure corners to build their nests. Unclean environments also allow rats to access food leftovers they can feast on. Cleaning up your property as much as possible is the first step to making your property inhabitable for rats.

Trim overgrown plants, dispose of unnecessary clutter, seal dustbins properly, and do not leave food around.

2. Seal food properly

 More than mere cleanliness might be needed to make the rats go away. They could live in the walls as long as they have free access to food in your home! Since you can’t go without having food in your home, you must properly organize and seal all your foodstuff/food materials. Investing in sealable and air-tight plastic or metal containers to store your raw food is advisable. Try to keep your food in cabinets or on an elevated surface, not the floor.

3. Invite natural predators

 Some animals naturally prey on rats and having a couple on your property can significantly prevent rats. Bobcats and some domestic cats are great examples of natural rat predators. Some dogs like Terriers, Dachshunds, and German Pinschers are also natural rat hunters.

Barn owls can feast on up to 400 rats in a year. However, inviting them might be tricky. Check out this amazing resource on inviting barn owls to your farm or yard. Other natural rat predators are snakes and weasels.

4. Seal entries

There’s no better way to ensure rats no longer bother you than by getting rid of their access points. If you can, try to find the cracks, tunnels or holes rats use to get into your home and property and seal it. If you’re unable to seal it fully, seal it partially. For tunnels in the soil, completely destroy them.

5. Specific plants

Some plants naturally repel rats. Planting these in or around your house and yard should prevent rats from continuing to bother you. These plants include garlic, mints, black pepper, rosemary, lavender, onion and more.

6. Ammonia

Ammonia is a component found in most fertilizers. Although on its own, it is colourless, the gas has a powerful smell. Fortunately, its smell is similar to the urine of many natural rat predators. Therefore, when rats perceive ammonia, they tend to keep away, thinking there’s a natural predator nearby. You can easily purchase an ammonia spray for use online. You should remember that you also might not enjoy the smell of ammonia in your home, and the smell mostly dissipates after a week.  

7. Peppermint oil

A study has shown that rats spend less time in places with a peppermint oil scent than in areas without. Seems odd, right? Yet, that is 100% correct. Many people have employed peppermint oil for rodent control, and they have enjoyed great results. The scent of peppermint oil offends a rat’s strong sense of smell, causing them to avoid places with peppermint oil. To apply, you can spray the oil where rats often show up or soak cotton wool balls in the oil and leave them around the areas where rats appear. However, just like ammonia, the smell may dissipate after a while.

8. Noise devices

Certain ultrasonic devices produce high-frequency sounds that rodents cannot tolerate. Having these devices could help keep rats away. Some YouTube videos claim to produce these high-frequency rodent-repellent sounds, and the comments seem positive.

Regardless of what method or combination of methods you decide to adopt, tackling a rat problem can be very tasking. This can be especially so when you do not want to resort to poison or killing. Many of the effective methods will require constant maintenance from you over a period of time.

However, with a professional pest control company, things can be different. At SIA Wildlife Control, all you’ll have to do is explain your problem to us and let us know your preference. You then relax and let us deliver results within a short time.

Why SIA Wildlife Control?

When you hire us at SIA Wildlife to tackle your rat problem, you get the best pest control services available in the Greater Toronto Area. But we also go above and beyond to ensure you are satisfied by not just ridding your property of rats. We advise you on the best methods to ensure the rats do not return. We guarantee that once you contact us, you will get our prompt attention, and we will do our best to ensure you begin to see results as soon as possible.

So, do you need an efficient and reliable pest control service in the Greater Toronto Area? Contact us today!