Rats: How Do I Remove Them Humanely?
There is a humane way to do everything, including ridding your homes of rats. While rodents are not welcome in every house, some people are against killing them with traps and poisons. If you are against killing rats or are concerned about using chemicals in your home, you can use humane methods to remove them altogether.
While traps, adhesives, and poisons work best to eliminate a rat infestation, some people are not comfortable killing rats. Plus, animal rights societies call for a more humane way to get rid of these pests from residences. Pest control companies can also offer to rid your homes of rats. Professional rat exterminators cost a few hundred dollars, and as long as you tell them you want to do it humanely, they can work with that requirement.
The methods that people use to exterminate rats are usually torturous. If you think adhesive traps are safe, think again. Rodents that get caught in the sticky contraptions bite off part of their bodies to escape. They break their legs as they try to break free. The glue can also irritate their skin and eyes, and those whose faces get stuck to the adhesive suffocate.
You can use traps. However, you must make sure to let them go in the morning. When you leave them there for too long, they die of starvation and dehydration.
The Best Way to Get Rid of Rats Humanely
If you want to rid yourself of a mouse problem, make your homes unattractive to them. First, you shouldn’t leave food in open places. Keep the garbage in tight containers. If possible, recycle the spoiled food to avoid attracting the rodents to go inside your home. You can make compost out of rotten food.
Keeping your house and surroundings clean is also another way to prevent a rat infestation. When there’s no food or shelter for them, rats will not try to get into your property. You should also deny them a way to enter your house. Start by sealing cracks, gaps, and holes. Check the basement because this is where they usually take shelter.
If you keep rats away from entering your home, you won’t need to exterminate them later. By making your home unattractive to rats, you save time and money.
Find a Catch-and-release Rat Trap
There are plenty of no-kill rat traps in the hardware store and home center. However, you can make one your own. The idea behind a catch-and-release trap is in the name itself. You need to catch the rat but not suffocate it. Afterward, you should release the rat back into the wild. If there are woods near your place, that’s where you can release it. Don’t release them in public parks.
You can make a contraption at home. You need a bucket, a stick, and a soda can. Drill two holes on the sides of the bucket and then do the same to the soda can. Push the stick so that the soda can will be in the middle of the bucket. Then smear peanut butter on the soda can to make it attractive to the rats.
The idea here is to trap the hungry rat. They will climb on that unstable soda can to get to the peanut butter and fall into the bucket. Normally, there should be water inside the bucket to drown the mouse. Since you are trying to keep the mice alive, leave the bucket empty and release them when you get the chance.
Use Essential Oils as Natural Rat Repellant
Rats have sensitive noses. They have an adverse reaction to certain smells. You can use essential oils to keep them away from your home. They particularly hate the smell of cayenne pepper and peppermint. Spray them around the areas that mice frequent. You can leave cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil in places where they take shelter.
Blast Sounds
Like people, mice are repelled by high-pitched sounds. You can get a device that emits a high-pitched whir in most hardware stores. Don’t worry since only the rats can hear these sounds and not you or your family. You’ll be oblivious to these sounds so that you can go on with your lives just fine.
The Takeaway
It’s okay if you don’t have the heart to kill the rats or if killing them is against your principle. There are plenty of ways to do it humanely. You can talk to professionals about your concern. They can arrange a method for you. Or, if you have the time and the stomach for it, you can make contraptions and release the rats in the woods afterward.