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5 Poison-Free Ways to Get Rodents Out Of Your Home
When you see a rat scuttering across the floor of your kitchen, the first thing on your mind definitely won’t be how to make this experience more pleasant for the rodent. We get that. What you will be thinking most probably will be somewhere along the lines of how can I get that thing out of here the quickest?
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And while poison is among the first things to come to mind, there are a few reasons why you’ll want to avoid it.
Why is Poison Bad?
While rat poison has always been efficient in killing rodents, it has drastically lost popularity in recent years. One of the reasons for this is that it’s an inhumane, if not outright cruel way to get rid of a pest. Sure, the rodent might not be welcome in your home, but it’s generally not a physical threat to you and yours. Thus, killing it is needlessly cruel, especially since most rodent poisons are slow-acting, and will take hours to work.
During this time, the rodent will desperately seek shelter, to protect itself while it’s weakened. During this search, it may crawl into vents, walls, or other areas of the home that are difficult to reach, and die there. This means a bunch of problems for you, since a dead rat stinks, and attracts other nuisance wild animals.
So How Can You Get Rid of Rats Without Poison?
1. Hire A Professional Wildlife Removal Company
By far the best way to get rid of an unwanted rodent from your property is to, of course, reach out to a professional wildlife removal company. While it may be a tad pricier than DIY removal, it offers 100% guaranteed efficiency, which is worth the extra cost. Not only that, but professional wildlife removal companies like New Journey Pest Control come prepared with professional apparel, protective gear, and most importantly, experience in trapping rodents, all of which you sadly lack.
What’s more, a professional wildlife removal company will also be able to identify what attracted the rodent, and how the critter got in, as well as advise you on future prevention tips.
2. Use A Live Trap
If you insist on DIY rat removal, then we strongly recommend using a live trap. Similar to a traditional trap, the live trap is a cage that you lure the rodent into using popular bait (like peanut butter). Once inside, the rat steps on a plate that causes the door of the cage to fall shut, trapping it inside.
You can then use the live trap to transport the rodent into a new location where it won’t be able to bother you and then release it. Live traps are useful since you can use them multiple times, as well as cruelty-free, making them ideal.
3. Bring in Natural Predators
A big part of rodent removal is making your home seem inhospitable. A great way to do that is by bringing in natural rodent predators, namely birds of prey (like owls) or cats. Ideally, you don’t want the predator to actually catch and kill the rodent – though be warned that that may happen – but often, their presence on your property will be enough to signal to the rat that it’s time to move.
Owning a predator is also a useful way to protect your home against other nuisance species like raccoons, snakes, squirrels, etc.
4. Try Natural Deterrents
Another big favorite for DIY rodent removal is using a natural deterrent. Similar to the predator, the deterrent will signal to the rodent that your home isn’t such a great place to live, after all.
In choosing a natural deterrent, focus on strong aromas and scents – like many wild animals, rodents don’t appreciate cayenne pepper, garlic, peppermint oil, or black pepper.
5. Install A Motion-Activated Deterrent
Last but not least, there are certain devices you can buy that are motion-activated and that will give off a light or sound when they sense activity. Plant these along the rodent’s natural path for best results.
Such deterrents, unfortunately, are only effective in the short term. Since rodents are quite smart, they eventually figure out how to avoid detection, at which point the deterrent becomes useless.
About the Author Laura Bennett
Hello, I’m Laura Bennett. I love nature especially when it comes to flowers and different kinds of plants. I started a very small garden behind my house and I named it Humid Garden. So, I created this blog to provide aspiring and inspiring thoughts about gardening for gardeners and anyone who has the intention of keeping a garden.
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