Having a rat infestation in your home is the thing of nightmares for every homeowner in Texas. From spreading diseases to structural damages, these unwelcome guests may create serious trouble for you.
But how do you get rid of rats? Most homeowners consider rat traps and mousetraps as their first line of defense against these stubborn creatures.
With regard to rat traps, you may have a standard wooden mousetrap on your mind. However, it may surprise you that there are a variety of rat traps that you can buy. Even if you’re looking for an electric or ultrasonic trap, you have several options in the market.
We understand how choosing the best mouse trap becomes challenging when you have so many options. Considering this, we have included different types of rat traps and several tips on how you can choose the right product for your circumstances.
Let’s start with the importance of installing rat traps at the first sign of a rodent in your home.
Reason You Need Rat Traps in Your House
Rats can infect your family
Safety is the primary reason why you will want to get rid of rats on your property. Surprisingly, rats can carry and transmit more than 35 diseases to humans through bites and contamination.
Even if any of a family member touches a dead rodent, it can infect them with a variety of diseases.
Whether it is a bite or contact contamination, rats spread diseases such as Leptospirosis, LCM, and Salmonellosis. However, they can also transmit rat bat fever through their bites and scratches.
If you are setting rat traps in your home, you’ll want to use the necessary precautions to avoid contamination. As a dead rodent also spreads diseases, we recommend using gloves and a mask to cover your mouth and nose while throwing out the carcass.
They chew everything
We all know that rats have a natural habit of biting or chewing off anything they find interesting. From clothes to electric wires, rodents bite to soothe their natural craving, but this craving creates serious troubles for you.
Your keepsakes and valuables are generally undisturbed for long periods of time, and this is the perfect environment for a rat to make its nest. So while you think your precious photos and mementos are safe in the trunk in the attic, you may later find that a rat has made its home there.
So, it’s a great idea to install rat traps in the house instead of waiting until it is too late. Rats are notorious for chewing through just about anything, even the structural parts of your home.
Prevent structural damages
As mentioned above, rats have a tendency to chew and destroy just about anything. Not only do they seek out things to eat, they can even chew through electrical or telephone wires if they are in the way of where they want to be.
Sometimes, even just a small rat bite in the electrical wires can lead to a major short circuit on your property. This short circuit can cause an electrical fire or destroy expensive electronic appliances.
Moreover, rats aren’t generally deterred by walls and floors. They can chew through just about anything if that means creating a safer environment for them to nest and breed. That’s why even the best rat traps may not be enough to prevent your property from structural damage.
Counter rats’ hiding tricks
Rodents, especially rats, are too smart and easily avoid some rat removal tactics. No matter which rat removal method you use, rats are notorious for finding a way to survive.
However, professional pest control service providers, like SafePro, are experts at a rat’s way of thinking and can devise a plan to outsmart them.
Prevent infestation
In most cases, people use rat traps after they detect an infestation to kill and exterminate rats. In most instances, this is too late and a professional exterminator will need to expertly rid your home of rats.
Rats are polyestrous and will birth babies in just 20-23 days. Chances are you will not see evidence of a rat for several months, and that means a lot more rats have just taken up residence.
Prevention is the best way to not have rats or rodents in your home. That’s why SafePro Pest Control recommends using rat traps and regular exterminator inspections before and after a rat infestation, to keep your home rodent-free.
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Types of Rat Traps You Can Use
If you are considering a do-it-yourself method, you may be considering rat traps for your home. But what are some of the best rat traps available on the market?
Let’s explore the various mouse traps in detail and find a perfect one for you.
Humane mouse traps
When it comes to exterminating rats, not everyone wants to kill them or injure them. It is possible to get rid of rats without hurting them as humane mouse traps are available at most hardware stores.
Humane traps work like a cage that self closes when a rat or mouse pulls the bait. It’s a simple mechanism using a spring inside connected to the bait. When the rat pulls the bait, the spring gets detached and closes the exit door for the rat without any injuries.
Once they get trapped, you can relocate them away from the home. However, if your home is a good habitat for rats, they may find a way to keep coming back. It’s always best to transport them far enough away so that they are not tempted to find your home again.
Snap traps
Snap traps are the oldest and most popular traps found in almost any store. You may have watched the old Tom & Jerry cartoons and remember how Tom used to put cheese on a snap trap and wait for Jerry to grab the bait.
When Jerry lifts the cheese bait, it detaches the spring and the metal bar comes down in a “snap”. The metal bar snaps onto the rat whenever it triggers the spring mechanism.
The problem with the snap trap is that there is no guarantee that it kills the rodent immediately and the animal could suffer or escape.
Snap traps are also dangerous to humans, especially if you have children. Even pets can be curious about a snap trap and become injured
Sticky traps
As the name describes, a sticky trap is a board with robust glue. Rats usually scurry along the ground in your home so when a rat travels across the board, the robust glue sticks to the animal right away. Once the rodent is stuck to the board you can dispose of the animal and the board as they are not reusable.
Sticky traps are not a danger to humans, but it requires regular monitoring as the rat will not perish right away. A mouse or rat will remain on the trap until it dies of starvation
Electric traps
An electric mouse trap is the best way to kill and exterminate the rats without any fuss. In most cases, the electric trap works with 4AA batteries to electrocute the rats. It gives a quick current that is powerful enough to kill the rat in seconds.
When the rat enters the trap, the electric trap gives an instant shock that remains in the body for two minutes. Like other electronic gadgets, it requires timely replacement of the battery to continue its mechanism.
Ultrasonic control system
This ultrasonic method is more of a rodent control system than a mousetrap. Ultrasonic systems neither trap nor kill the rats but keep them away from your property. How does it work then? It generates an ultrasound wave that creates an uncomfortable environment for rodents and pests.
An ultrasonic control system is a multi-purpose device that keeps your home safe from rodents, pests, and termites. Interestingly, it may be tough on rats but creates no threat to your family members.
Looking at the different traps, you may have noticed how the ultrasonic system is a safe and most effective solution. Here a question arises, where can you buy the ultrasonic control system in Texas? If you’re looking for one, look no further than SafePro Pest Control.
Click on the button below to consult our experts and buy the best rat trap for your home!
What to Consider When Choosing a Mouse Trap?
Design
Every mouse trap is designed to serve a specific purpose. For instance, snap traps are designed to kill rodents efficiently whereas humane traps help you exterminate rats without killing them. But you must buy the product designed to meet your needs.
Suppose you want the rat traps that stay tough on rodents but pose no threat to children or pets. In that case, you can buy an ultrasonic system or a humane trap for expected results.
Durability
As you know, rats are clever and will surely try their best to avoid humans and traps. That’s why durability is a crucial aspect to consider when choosing rat traps. It would be frustrating if you trust a trap but the rat breaks the spring and gets back to the party.
Check the build quality, sturdiness, and finishing for the best results. The trap should have a robust spring or any element that serves the purpose.
Safety
Keeping everything aside, you may never want to compromise your safety while exterminating the rats. Some rat traps are designed to kill the rats but can pose a threat of injury or harm to your family.
Suppose you installed a snap trap to kill a troublesome rodent and a family member fails to notice the trap and steps on it. Thus, choose a product that doesn’t pose a threat to your family members, especially children and pets.
Cost
Last but not least, cost is always an important factor whatever you’re buying. While buying a rat trap, focus on value for money instead of the actual price. Some products can be used multiple times while others can only be used one time.
For instance, sticky traps can be used for one time only. Once it catches the rat, you have to throw the board away entirely. On the other hand, rat traps like snap traps can be used several times unless they break.
Homemade Mouse Trap: Are They Safe and Effective?
A homemade mouse trap could be a cheaper solution to exterminate rodents from your property.
Here are a few examples of homemade rat traps.
Cardboard roll mousetrap
- Grab a cardboard tube of around 12 inches closed from one end
- Press the open end of the tube and flatten it
Put a bait that can attract the rat (ie, peanut butter) - Place it where you think there’s a rat infestation
- Check the tube several times to ensure the trap
Plastic Bottle Trap
- Pick a 1L plastic bottle
- Cut it partially to create a 180-degree hinge
- Put parallel holes in the bottle and insert skewers
- Join the skewers with rubbers
- Open the hinge and adjust the rubbers to create a closing mechanism
- Throw away the mouse far from your home once it gets trapped
Coffee Can Mousetrap
- Grab a large-sized coffee can
- Wrap it up with construction paper and cut it in a shape of an X
- Put a bait softly on the paper
- Wait for the mouse to get trapped
As you can imagine, these traps are cost-effective but are generally not a very good solution against rats.
Since rats breed very quickly, you’ll want to reach out to a professional rodent control service like SafePro Pest Control for a better solution.
Contact us now to consult our experts and get rid of troublesome rodents forever!
Conclusion: Importance of Rat Traps in Homes
Rodents like rats and mice are the most troublesome creatures that bring various havoc with them. They infect your food, spread diseases, make your home unhygienic, and cause damage to your home.
That’s where rat traps come into the picture. Depending on your circumstances, rat traps can be effective to protect your home from diseases, structural damage, and other havoc.
However, keep in mind that rat traps are temporary solutions and cannot exterminate a rat infestation or keep rats from coming back. That’s it’s a great idea to consult professional exterminators instead of just relying on traps.
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