- 1). Inspect the outside perimeter of your home for rat entry points that are close to the ground. This includes exposed seams, open air vents or crawl space entry doors. Look for partially eaten fruit, chew marks, droppings or foot tracks.
- 2). Place spring-loaded rat traps near confirmed entry and exit points. Bait the traps using peanut butter, apple slices, moist oatmeal or pieces of bacon. If you can access the area beneath your subfloor, place several traps around the inside perimeter.
- 3). Sprinkle rodenticide around the outside perimeter of your home and at entry or exit points. If there are any uncapped pipes protruding from the outside of your house, sprinkle rodenticide at the opening.
- 4). Check traps and rodenticide plots regularly to avoid odorous or decomposing rat carcasses. Dispose of a rat by placing it in a sealable plastic bag, then encasing it in a second bag. Use thick gloves while handling the carcass.
- 5). Attach sheet metal edging over any exposed areas of your home using a hammer and galvanized nails to prevent future infestations of your subfloor. Drive nails at the corners and along the side lengths of the metal for best results. Precut lengths of edging in a range of dimensions can be found at your local hardware or home improvement retailer.
- 6). Fill seams, cracks and crevices up to 1/4 inch using caulk sealant. Load the caulk into your caulking gun according to the instructions on the container. Squeeze the trigger to dispense a thick bead of sealant over the hole, and allow it to harden for the time suggested on the container.
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