If you ask me which thing I would like to eradicate from the earth forever? My answer will be ‘rats’. I don’t say everybody will have the same answer to the same question but if you particularly ask them would you like to eliminate rats from earth? Most, if not all, will say yes. This is why people, at any cost, don’t want to see rats in their houses, offices, and other places they live or keep their belongings.

Rats are so horrific, ugly, and weird creatures that humans, mostly women, start screaming when they see them. Unfortunately, the more we hat rats, the more their population becomes and there is nothing we can do to put a full stop to their population.

There is hardly any place on earth that we can declare free of rats. Even the most developed countries are unable to overcome the menace of rats as people living in these countries still apply traditional old methods to catch rats.

The ‘Rattiest’ City
Let’s talk about New York City known for its rats. New York City has long been considered one of the ‘Rattiest’ Cities in America. According to a report around 2 million rats live in New York. Many New Yorkers have accepted rats as part of the city. As government agencies try to tackle the problem some city residents are fighting the menace on their own. These rat-catchers have trained dogs that smell, catch and kill rats having ‘feasts’ in trash bags and other hide-outs.

Brown Rats of New York
According to a Cheddar News report, the rats living in New York are known as brown rats who entered the city in mid-1700 through ships from other ports around the world. The reason behind rats’ success is the dense population of New York City that provided them with an abundance of food and water.

Rats Reproduce Rapidly
Rats can survive on one ounce of food and water each day and also reproduce quickly with the average gestation period lasting from 21 to 23 days. A single female rat births around 8 pups in a single litter. These newborns will then begin to reproduce with other rats in just 5 weeks.

Another report says that female rats can mate up to 500 times in just six hours, and brown rats can give birth to up to 2,000 babies in a single year – with up to 22 young in a single litter.

Big-Belly Solar Compactors
The New York City Administration 2017 launched a $32 million city-wide initiative to reduce the rat population by 70%. The city installed 336 big-belly solar compactors with no possible entry point for rats. Later, these improved trash cans proved not to be as effective as advertised. So, the problem remained unsolved.

A Rat-Cather’s Advice
According to rat-catcher Richard Reynolds, any dog would catch and kill a rate but the terrier would do it better and faster than the other breeds. Reynolds says the only effective thing to reduce rats is cleanliness. Rats will move away if they have nothing to eat around.

Rats Carry Disease
Rats are notorious for carrying dangerous diseases. They’ve recently been shown to be carriers of Hepatitis E and infect people with the strain. Many of them carry the disease typhus.

Indications Of Rats In Your House

Strange Smells & Sounds
Rats leave a powerful ammonia smell. They’re also very loud – making rustling noises as they move throughout your home.
Droppings & Smears
Rats leave droppings behind as they move through your home. You may notice small, dark, pellet-shaped droppings along main rat pathways. Since rats have poor eyesight, they also create and maintain established routes along the walls.

As they travel these routes, they leave grease smears and smudges along the walls.

Footprints

Rats often leave foot and tail marks in the places they travel.

Damage That Rats Cause In The Home?
Cause structural damage to wood, drywall, insulation, and other building materials

Chew through electrical wires and increase fire and electrocution risk

Ruin furniture by burrowing into cushions and ripping out batting

Destroy books, papers, and clothes

Create noise that makes it difficult to sleep or relax in your home

Nest in walls, below the sink, or even in appliances – like the back of the refrigerator or underside of the washer

How To Get Rid Of Rats

The 2 best ways to remove rats are traps or poison. Remember, the use of either requires caution!

Traps. Choose wooden base snap traps, and enlarge the traps by fastening a 2-inch square of cardboard to each trigger. Set out several traps at a time – at least 10 if you think there are many rats. Place the traps behind boxes and against walls, so that the rats must pass over the trigger. Be sure the traps are out of the reach of children and pets! Fasten food attractive to rats, such as tomato, bread, peanut butter, and other eatables tightly on the trigger of each trap. Don’t let the trap run out of bait. An advantage to traps is that they are less of a hazard to children and pets than poison.

Poison. Read the poison label before you begin, and be careful to follow all steps. Watch out for children and pets! Make sure the baits are clearly marked and put them in low traffic, secure areas that might attract rats, such as under or behind boards, boxes, pipes, or cans, and out of the rain and snow. Remove the baits when all signs of rats are gone. Follow what the label says about how to dispose of the leftover poison.

Clean Up. Shelter and hiding places always attract rats. One of the best ways to get rid of rats without poison is to eliminate their hiding places. Clean up the clutter in and around your home and move objects away from the walls.

Keep all trash and food in closed bins, clean up any spills rapidly, and keep your pipes and drains clean.

Natural Deterrent Methods
There are some simple natural ways to eliminate rats.

Try these options:

Spread peppermint oil, cayenne pepper, black pepper, or cloves around every possible rat entrance to the home.

Sprinkle crushed pepper (or spray pepper spray) near rat openings and holes. This will irritate the rats’ noses and airways and discourage them from reentering your home.

A man once gave sarcastic remarks by saying that America, the world superpower, that eliminated two Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atom bombs seems helpless before the army of rats. So, let me say if this is the case in the United States of America, tell me a place to go ‘where rats don’t live.’