Indianapolis Rat Removal Tip: I Found A Nest Of Rats In My Attic, What Do I Do?

If you found a nest of rats in your attic, it is likely there is more. Rats tend to live in large groups with dominant hierarchies.

For many, the easiest solution is to call a professional with rat removal experience. However, this can be cost prohibitive in some areas and the price often depends on the size of the infestation.

Black rats are the most common species found in attics because they tend to stay near a water source and commonly frequent trees. They find their way onto rooves and eventually into attics to nest.

Before Trapping

Before setting traps in your attic, you must seal off entry points. Rats need only a space the size of a quarter to squeeze through. They can flatten their bodies in amazing ways and are taught to do so from a young age.

Once you have isolated all entry points, they must be sealed with metal or some type of steel mesh. Rats have a constant need to chew and can gnaw through most materials. They have even been known to chew through brick and concrete.

So, You Found a Nest

If you found a nest of rats in your attic, the good news is you know where they are. Rats commonly stay within three-hundred feet of their nests, so you know where to place the traps. The first thing to do is decide what type of traps you want to use.

The common wooden snap traps work best as they often kill the rodents during the process. It is a quick and painless kill that only leaves a carcass to be disposed of.

When setting traps, you want to put them in high traffic areas. This will be easy to find as it will be littered with fecal matter.

It is best to set two traps per rodent and use a bait that is not easily removed. Contrary to popular belief, cheese is not effective. Peanut butter works best. It is aromatic, rats find it irresistible and it can be smeared onto traps which prevents it from being stolen.

Once traps have been set, they need to be checked every eight to ten hours. This prevents carcasses from rotting in the attic and allows you to find injured rodents that may not have died. Although they are disease ridden vermin, they should not be left to suffer needlessly.

Once you are confident you have eradicated the rat population, you can begin the lengthy clean-up process.