This information is brought to you
by the staff at Island County Public Health (ICPH)
ICPH Subject Index
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Rats are dangerous! They can ruin your
food, destroy things in your home and start electrical fires. Rats and their fleas can
carry disease.
However, please be advised:
Rat eradication is not a governmental responsibility. This is an
individual and a
neighborhood issue. Private enterprises handle this problem
on a large scale.
| Where do rats live
outside? |
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- Under wood piles or lumber that is not being used often
- Under bushes, vines and in tall grasses that are not
trimmed or cut back
- Under rocks in the garden
- In cars, appliances and furniture that has been put
outside and is no longer being used
- In and around trash and garbage that has been left on
the ground
- In holes under buildings
| Where
do rats live inside the home? |
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- In the insulation of walls or ceilings
- Inside the crawl spaces
- Behind or under cupboards, counters, bathtubs and
shower stalls
- Near hot water heaters and furnaces
- In basements, attics and wherever things are stored in
boxes, paper or cloth
| What foods brings rats into
my yard and neighborhood? |
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- Garbage that rats can get into, like garbage cans with
loose lids, plastic or paper bags, and litter.
- Food for pets and birds that has not been eaten.
Birdseed on the ground, pet food in pet dishes, bread crumbs, etc.
- Fruits and berries that have fallen to the ground.
- Compost pile or worm bin that isn't taken care of the
right way (do not put meat, fish, poultry, or dairy in the compost)
- Dog droppings
| What
do rats eat when they get inside the house? |
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- THE SAME FOODS WE DO!
- Foods, fats, oils that have been spilled and left on
counters, floors, appliances and tables
- Grains, like cereal, oats, rice and vegetables like
potatoes and carrots that are in cardboard boxes and plastic bags
- Pet food in boxes or bags
- Any garbage that is not in a can with a tight lid
| Keep rats away from your
home! |
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Do not give food and shelter to these most unwanted guests!
- The time to act is before the signs (droppings) of a
rat or mouse.
- Stack fire wood 18 inches off the ground and away from
all buildings.
- Birdhouses and seed should be on poles and in trays
rats can't get.
- Keep garbage can lids closed tightly.
- Plant bushes so they will stay at least 3 feet from
your house.
- Keep yards and alleys clean. Take junk to the dump!
- If you feed them, they will stay. Pick up fruit and
vegetables in your yard.
- Do not compost any animal products (fish, meat,
chicken, cheese, butter). Keep lids tight.
- Use only rodent resistant composters.
- In basements keep any food in closed containers that
rats can't chew through.
- Cover all openings to your house. Rats can get into
very small places.
- Do not leave your pet food outside. If your pet doesn't
eat it, the rats will.
- Roof rats get into your house from tree branches that
hang over the roof. Keep trees cut back and cover any openings in the eves.
| Keep
rats out of your sewer pipes! |
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Rats live in sewers and can follow the food in pipes up to your
toilet.
- Keep your kitchen sink rinsed clean and use garbage
disposals as little as possible.
- Rinse out your kitchen sink once or twice a month.
- Use 1 cup of bleach (an alternative to using bleach, 1
cup of baking soda followed by 1 cup of vinegar) and rinse with boiling water.
- Never throw grease down the drain.
- Keep your toilet lid down when not in use.
- If you find a rat in your toilet, flush it! (hint:
squirt a little dishwashing liquid under the lid into the bowl, wait a couple of minutes
then flush)
| To
kill a rat, use a rat trap! |
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The best trap is the large, simple, cheap wooden "snap
trap." They are sold in hardware stores. To use the
trap:
- Bait it with pieces of apple, potato, raw bacon or with
peanut butter spread on a cotton ball.
- Attach it firmly to the ground or solid place to keep
the rat from dragging the trap away.
- Place the trap near where you have found the droppings.
Make sure the trap is safe from people, children, pets or animals who could get hurt from
it.
POISONS ARE NOT RECOMMENDED for rat control, because children
or other animals may eat it by mistake. However, if rats are too numerous, poisons may be
the only feasible solution. Be sure to place poisons in such manner that only rats can get
to the bait. Also, poisoned rats can die in hard to reach places causing a very bad smell.
DEAD RATS should first be wrapped in newspaper, or
placed in a plastic bag before putting it in a tightly covered garbage can. Injured or
sick rats must be killed, then wrapped and put in the garbage can. Try not to touch
the dead rat. Use gloves if possible.
WASH YOUR HANDS WITH HOT WATER AND SOAP AFTER GETTING RID OF DEAD
RATS! (even if you used gloves)
- Questions? Feel free to call the Environmental Health
Office at (360) 679-7350 x 7910
- For a more extensively
informative website re wildlife control, click here
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