I went on the run and won’t be back soon: what to do if a rat escaped from its cage?

Sometimes it happens that a rat has escaped from its cage. The animal can also get lost in the room when it is let out for a walk. As a rule, this happens with a young rat or an adult that has found itself in a new space.

A rat's escape can cause big problems - not only for the owner, but also for the pet itself. The animal may die, for example, by getting stuck between a cabinet and the floor. At first, until the rat gets comfortable at home, you need to keep an eye on it. Before placing an animal in your home, you need to prepare the following:

• put electrical wires into corrugated tubes,
• seal the cracks in the floor,
• free up as much space as possible so that the pet can be easily found if it runs away.

Why does a rat escape from its cage?

No owner is immune from the escape of a beloved pet. Animals have different personalities - you probably have a tireless researcher who wants to explore every nook and cranny of the apartment.

Escape from the cell can also occur for another reason - due to stress. Tamed rats know how to empathize, feel sorry for their owner when he is sad, and even drink away his tears.

But small rodents also need support. If you just bought a pet or moved with it to a new apartment, be extremely careful and attentive.

A frightened animal may hide in a hard-to-reach place if it does not feel safe in its house.

Harm from rats

Nuisance rodents can infect pets, spoil food, and some people experience severe allergic reactions to rat fur, saliva, and feces. Rats love attics, basements, warehouses, and cluttered places. Their sharp fangs are capable of chewing through wiring, pipes, and any obstacle including concrete and lead.

FACT! An investigation has shown that it was a rat that caused the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan! She gnawed through the wires, which disabled the reactor cooling system. Only thanks to the coordinated actions of the personnel was it possible to prevent a disaster.

Out of anxiety and fear, people sometimes even create legends about these animals. There are stories in the news that a cat-sized rat has been caught somewhere, or a video about a giant mutant rat being caught in the Moscow metro. None of this is true. Rats reproduce at a tremendous speed and that is why they need to be destroyed in a timely manner.

INFORMATION FOR CONSIDERATION! According to research, in 2022 there will be 2 rats for every resident of the UK and USA. Populations are growing rapidly due to the large number of landfills and the rate of increase in consumption. If nothing is done further, there is a possible risk of a repeat of the rat epidemics of the Middle Ages, which claimed about 200 million human lives.

How to find an escaped rat in an apartment?

Escape from a cage is a headache for the owner. Therefore, it is better to prevent a problem than to solve it later. The first time after moving, it is better to darken the cage - just put the old clothes you wore on it.

Under natural conditions, animals prefer dark burrows hidden from prying eyes. With this simple trick, the rat will quickly get used to the new environment and your smell.

However, even the most attentive and caring owners may encounter the escape of their pet. The main thing is not to panic. The success of the operation to return the rodent to its home depends on your confident, calm and timely actions.

Traditional methods

Many people prefer to fight rats in their apartments using traditional methods, as they combine effectiveness and safety for people and pets. To drive away rodents, agents are used whose smell they cannot tolerate:

• plants (ledum, elderberry, wormwood, mint);
• essential oils (tea tree, eucalyptus);
• household chemicals (containing bleach);
• vinegar;
• spices (chili pepper, cloves, coriander).

There are more radical folk recipes with which you can destroy emerging rats:

• a mixture of flour and plaster (alabaster) is scattered along the walls, saucers with water are placed nearby, the mixture eaten and washed down with water hardens in the stomach and leads to the death of the rodent;
• a mass of crushed wine cork, bread and vegetable oil (it swells in the rodent’s stomach);
• a mixture of soda, flour and sugar (once it enters the stomach, it reacts with gastric juice, resulting in the release of gas, which causes the rat to die).

Attitudes towards folk remedies vary; some consider them useless, while others really help. It’s worth trying and drawing conclusions based on your own experience.

Favorite places for a rat to hide

If you are just preparing for the first meeting of a new tenant, then you need to prepare thoroughly. It's not just about a darkened cage and suitable food. Now is the time to fix holes in the floor or walls that you've never gotten around to.

Keep it clean and tidy; scattered things not only make your home look unkempt, but are also good for hiding. After inconsolable searches in the most unusual places, you may suddenly find an animal among them.

Experienced owners advise looking at your apartment through the eyes of a rodent. What secluded place will you choose in case of danger if you are the size of your palm?

You need to start the search operation from your pets’ favorite places:

1. Between the wall and furniture.
2. In newspapers and magazines.
3. In plastic bags.
4. In the closet with clothes.

Do not forget that the choice of place often depends on the nature of the animal and its habits. If a decorative rat fearlessly crawls under the ceiling with the grace of a circus performer, then first of all check the mezzanines and upper shelves of the closet.

Calm lovers of cozy houses can be found between the pillows in the bed or on the sofa. Knowing the character of the animal, catching a domestic rat will not be difficult.

Precautionary measures

The cage door should always close securely. Rats are smart animals; it will not be difficult for them to deftly open a poorly closed door with their teeth and paws. Even a tightly closed latch can be easily opened by the animal. Therefore, it is better to use a special carbine as a lock. You can use a stationery clip - it will hold the door tightly, and it is easy for the owner to install and remove.

A rat that has recently appeared in the house may be simply scared at first - it is frightened by new sounds and smells. This is a normal phenomenon, especially if the animal was born in a pet store or at a pet market. There he was constantly in the company of his own kind, and not people, and for this reason he was a little wild. The rat must be accustomed to its name, it should not be afraid of its owner, it should respond to the name and come running when called.

How not to harm an animal?

During the search, it is important not to harm the defenseless pet, so be extremely careful. First of all, analyze what dangers a rodent may encounter in the apartment.

Turn off all electrical appliances and the stove, remove hot food, cover pots of water and the toilet lid. Move furniture with caution, as any sudden movement can cause pain to your pet or even cause its death.

Check each item before sitting or standing on it.

You can harm the animal even after the fugitive is found. Sometimes the owners grab the animal by the tail and hold it upside down. This behavior is unacceptable. The rodent will be comfortable if you carefully take it by the body, place it in your palm, and then take it to the cage.

Rules and precautions when searching and capturing

It is worth considering that while searching for an escaped rat, real trouble can happen to the animal. Therefore, you will need to protect your pet. To protect your furry from possible injury or even death, you will need to do the following:

1. Unplug all electrical appliances. Having encountered the first wire it comes across on its way, the rat will immediately begin to chew it. Accordingly, the animal risks receiving a very strong blow.
2. Protect the rat from larger pets - cats and dogs. It’s one thing when a cat is looking for a fugitive under the supervision of its owner, it’s another thing when a born predator is left to its own devices. If a large pet’s hunting instinct kicks in, you’ll have to hope only for a miracle.
3. Close the toilet lid, and also empty the water from all containers (buckets, deep pans, bathtub). In fact, rats can swim. But in a stressful situation they can drown, especially if they have to wait for help for several hours.
4. If traps were previously placed around the house to catch wild mice and bees, you will need to remove them immediately, otherwise the fugitive will definitely fall into the trap.
5. Turn off the electric stove and iron so that the rat does not get burned. It is better to refrain from using these household appliances until the animal is caught.
6. If during the search it is necessary to move furniture, then this must be done as carefully as possible, otherwise you can simply crush the fugitive.

You also need to constantly look at your step. Rats are very nimble, so they can slip past their owner unnoticed. The main thing is not to accidentally crush the fugitive. Every time you sit down or lie down, you will also need to watch carefully so as not to crush the rodent.

If children live in the house, it is necessary to explain the situation as clearly as possible and carefully instruct them, talking about the safety measures listed above and the possible negative consequences for the rat if they are not followed.

Search algorithm

When unplanned events happen, it can be easy to feel lost. What to do if the rat runs away and you suddenly find an empty cage?

• The most important thing is to calm down. Think about where in the apartment the baby could get hurt, immediately turn off electrical appliances and hide anything that could burn him.
• Limit your search area. Close doors and windows carefully.
• Check out your pet's favorite spots.
• Continue searching in places that may interest the animal. Decorative rats, of course, are not chameleons, but rodents are excellent at “merging” with surrounding objects. The owners note that sometimes they can be detected only by touch - they can camouflage themselves so professionally.
• Listen carefully to every sound. Turn off the TV and radio, let the silence in the apartment be ideal during the search. There was a rustling sound - immediately look for the source of the sound.

Bait Products

You can catch a rat in a private house only with the help of fragrant bait. The animal, having smelled her scent, will definitely come to her location. Without treats, catching rodents will be fruitless.

Rat bait can be anything, but it is better to use the following food products:

• Cheese;
• Sausages;
• Porridge;
• Cereal mixtures;
• Bread, pastries;
• Smoked products;
• Cottage cheese.

How to quickly catch a decorative rat?

Regular searches can take a long time and be fruitless. There are other ways to detect a traveler - experienced hosts offer many options.

Call by name

Taming a decorative rat will not be difficult. A warm attitude is important. Give him a nickname right away and teach him the name - during feeding, repeat it affectionately over and over again. Soon the rodent will react immediately to familiar sounds by running out to you. This pet skill will work in your favor if the rat goes on the run.

Lure with a tasty treat

If the pet does not respond to its name, then you can try another effective method. Remember the fairy tale about Hansel and Gretel, who were looking for their way home with the help of bread crumbs? Try catching your favorite rodent in your apartment using this method. Lay out a trail of your favorite treats and watch carefully to see if the fugitive comes out of hiding.

Place a cage nearby

After a long walk and new impressions, the pet will sooner or later get hungry. If you find a place where a rodent is hiding, but you can’t get it out yourself, then you can move the cage with treats inside. Keep an eye on the rat from its hiding place so as not to scare away the brave traveler.

Important! The food in the cage must be liquid, otherwise the pet may grab the treat and run away from the house again.

Using a bucket

If the usual methods do not work, then you can adopt unusual ideas. The ingenuity of rodent owners is enviable. Many ways have been invented to catch a pet rat using a bucket; the activity is easy to carry out at home. For example, you can place a ruler on the edge of a stool and secure it.

The other edge is pulled forward over the bucket and a small bait is placed on it. The rat follows the smell and runs down. It is important that the pet is not injured if it falls, so you need to put something soft and bulky at the bottom of the bucket.

Glue traps for mice

You can also place sticky glue traps that attract rats by smell and securely fix them, preventing them from escaping. Such traps are usually quite affordable: “Mr Mouse” adhesive plates cost 152 rubles (2 pieces in a set) and will help you catch several “tailed ones”. If there are too many of them, it’s easier to buy special glue for rodents and make sticky traps yourself using cardboard or other dense base - a very economical method. These traps will help not only at home, but will also solve the problem of how to get rid of rats in the chicken coop.

How to get rats out of the house: use an ultrasonic repeller

If you are against bloody methods of control and are simply looking for a way to drive rats out of your home (as well as an apartment, office, warehouse, etc.), use electronic ultrasonic repellers. These are small devices that apply ultrasound to rodents, causing them to flee in panic from the source of the waves. Repellers can be quite effective if you are looking for an alternative option for getting rid of rodents. Plus, it's safe for people and pets.

Most often, rodent repellers operate from the mains - to activate the device, you just need to plug it into an outlet. But a small apartment and a large house will require completely different models with different powers and types of impact. We will tell you about the most effective devices for fighting rats and mice in small, medium and large rooms and how to scare away rats with their help.

Ultrasonic repellers for an apartment or small house up to 200 m2

If there are rats in a one-room apartment or small house, it will be enough to use a low-power repeller. Such devices consume little electricity, are inexpensive and can cope with a rodent attack in a limited area using only ultrasound. The most popular ultrasonic repellers for small spaces are Tornado-200 and ElectroKot Classic.

Repeller “Tornado-200”

Tornado-200 operates in a single mode with a constantly changing frequency from 18 to 70 kHz. In this range, ultrasound “jumps” by 2-10 kHz every few minutes, which confuses the rodents, instills fear in them and makes them run away. Coverage of work area – up to 200 m2. As stated, Tornado can work at temperatures from -40 to 80 degrees, so you can safely leave it working in absolutely any room.

The device has a built-in stand, which allows you to install it on any hard surface. The manufacturer also recommends that for the best effect, attach the Tornado-200 as close to the ceiling as possible, directing its emitter to the center of the room. Based on user experience, this is valuable advice. So, Natalya writes:

“At first I didn’t understand why our Tornado didn’t work, because the rats continued to run around the basement - and this was with the device turned on! Then I realized that I had connected the repeller in the wrong place - right in front of the old sofa, which absorbed the ultrasound. When I cleared the room of upholstered furniture and other rubbish, the rats left after 3-4 days and have not appeared again yet.”

Remember that at the very beginning of using the device, it may seem that there are even more rodents in the room. This is the primary reaction to a new stimulus - ultrasound.

“For some time we were bothered at night by one or two rats that ran under the floor and rustled disgustingly, as if they were looking for something. One day one ran straight into our room while we were sleeping. We didn’t want to use poisons because rats die from them anywhere. When we finally connected the Tornado-200, the night running seemed to intensify. But we knew that increased activity from ultrasound was normal, so we left the device running. It seems that it was not in vain - in the following days we heard only 1 rat, and then they completely disappeared from the basement. While we sleep peacefully"

– one of the users shared his story.

Price: 1430 rub.

Repeller “ElectroCat Classic”

This repeller no longer has 1 operating mode, but 2 (day and night) with different emitted frequency ranges from a total of 5 to 100 kHz. This affordable ultrasonic repeller for ~₽999 is suitable for any room up to 200 m2, and, judging by satisfied user reviews, it copes very successfully with the task of scaring away uninvited tailed guests. The propagation angle of the device signal is 110 degrees. The frequency of ultrasound also constantly changes so that rodents do not have time to adapt to the same wave. It is possible to mount the device on the wall.

Users note that the repeller is a little noisy in the “Night” mode, but its effectiveness, apparently, outweighs this drawback, because they continue to purchase it. They advise, if possible, to install the device closer to the corner of the room to increase the coverage radius of the ultrasonic emitter. Svetlana Pavlovna left the following review:

“We have a small house, but it’s old, so the rats easily got inside and apparently decided to stay in the attic. I was even scared to go there after I saw the gnawed bags - they were probably looking for food. A neighbor advised me to buy an “ElectroCat” and turn it on at least at night. It worked, but at first the rats became even more active, and once I even saw little rats already on the stairs. It took more than one day to get rid of them - but it happened. Sometimes I turn the repeller on again so they don’t come back.”

Price: 1350 rub.

Rat and mouse repellers for medium and large rooms up to 1200 m2

Do you need to get rid of rats from a large house or a huge industrial premises? Here we need more powerful devices that also have a visual effect on rats. We have selected 3 repellers: 2 of them will cope with rats in an area of ​​up to 400 m2, and the last one, the most powerful, will take “anti-rat control” up to 1200 m2 of space using 7 different operating modes.

To protect an average-sized house, the “Tornado-400” and “ElectroCat Turbo” . They are both designed for a maximum area of ​​400 m2, but they also have a number of differences.

Repeller ElectroCat Turbo

The device has 2 operating modes: Day and Night with a constantly changing ultrasound frequency in the range from 5 to 50 kHz. It affects rodents in three ways at once: ultrasound, sound and light. In day mode, only ultrasound is activated; in night mode, the device emits acoustic vibrations in the audio and ultrasonic ranges. Both modes are accompanied by intermittent lighting of a powerful LED. Exposure to both hearing and vision at once gives a much better repellent effect than exposure to ultrasound alone. The propagation angle of the device signal is 110 degrees.

“ElectroCat Turbo” can be placed without additional fasteners and stands (it has its own), but if necessary, you can hang it on the wall. You can also manually aim the emitter at the desired part of the room. This is an excellent solution to the question: how to drive rats out of a large house. Tatyana (Moscow) writes:

“I would never have thought that we could have rats or mice in our dacha. But when they began to regularly find someone’s droppings in the house, they realized that they needed to urgently take action. We chose the “Turbo” model, because... We have a big house, we connect it both in daytime mode and in “noisy” night mode when we leave. There is already noticeably less litter in the house. By the way, dogs react to it normally and are not nervous. We will recommend the device to our friends.”

Evgeniy S. advises not to forget to remove decorative rodents from the house during treatment.

“I have a decorative rat, and then, by an unfortunate accident, a couple of mice appeared in the apartment. They seemed small, but they caused trouble, they even stole my food, it was disgusting. I decided to check the work of “ElectroCat Turbo”, but forgot about my rat! She was very scared, rushing around the cage while the device was working at home. It’s bad that I did this and didn’t immediately take her out, but on the other hand, it means that ultrasound really works on rodents. The mice, by the way, disappeared quickly, but, fortunately, there were simply few of them.”

Price: 1490 rub.

Ultrasonic repeller Tornado-400

Tornado-400 has one operating mode with one powerful emitter (range 18-70 kHz) and is similar in technical characteristics to the Tornado-200 model, with the exception of greater room coverage due to an increase in the size of the emitter. Many people use it not only at home, but also at work.

“I work in a small grocery warehouse, and as you know, there can be rats in there. It’s good that we quickly noticed this and purchased Tornado-400, otherwise we would have suffered heavy losses. But when they connected it, they didn’t believe at all that this box could be effective; they heard a lot from their friends. At the same time, they laid out the poison, but the rodents almost didn’t touch it, because... after 4 days they were already running around in panic, looking for a way out. Now we always leave the repeller on overnight so that this horror doesn’t happen again.”

– writes Timofey.

Price: 2250 rub.

Repeller “Tornado-1200”

The most powerful repeller we are considering will take control of up to 1200 m2! This makes it an excellent option not only for a large home, but also for use in industrial and retail spaces, as well as in large food warehouses, which rats love. The signal from Tornado-1200 extends to all 360 degrees due to the round shape of the device and 4 multi-directional emitters. The device affects not only ultrasound in the range from 16 to 76 kHz, but also sound (from 1 to 7 kHz) and irregular flashes of light.

Hang it even on the ceiling - due to its unusual futuristic design, it will not disfigure, but even decorate the space. While other devices have 2 operating modes, this one has as many as 7 - you can choose the one that suits any situation. You don’t have to remove the device to select a mode - to switch, use the remote control that comes with the kit.

There are fewer reviews for it than for more affordable models. But experienced users confirm that it is worth its price and drives rodents out even from large rooms.

“I'm delighted with Tornado-1200! We didn’t want to save money - we had to get rid of the rats as quickly as possible, because there was a small child at home. When choosing a repeller, we settled on the most powerful device that we found, since the house is large. It’s convenient that you can vary the modes (we leave only ultrasound and light on at night) without removing the device from the ceiling. Even a child can handle it. We were worried about the cat, but he has not yet responded to the device in any way - we hope everything will continue to be so. We use the second day, there are already noticeably fewer rats.”

Price: 5750 rub.

Advantages of the repeller

Among the advantages of repellers as a method of rodent control are the following: they are safe for people, dogs and cats, have an unlimited service life and consume very little electricity. They can be used in any residential, office, retail and industrial enterprises, as well as food warehouses.

How to use a repeller correctly

1. Ultrasound is well reflected from hard materials (wood, concrete, glass), but is also well absorbed by soft ones - curtains, carpets, upholstered furniture, food in soft containers. Therefore, the less furniture and other objects there are in the room with the repeller, the better the effect of the ultrasonic device on rodents will be and the faster you will see the result.
2. Ultrasound is not able to penetrate walls: each infected room will require a separate repeller.
3. Although such repellers are safe, it is not recommended to stay at a distance of less than 2 m from the switched on device for a long time.
4. When using a repeller, remove domestic rodents such as hamsters and guinea pigs from the room: ultrasound will also cause anxiety, fear and panic in them.
5. From the point of view of scientists, if ultrasonic devices were unable to drive rodents out of the room within 2-3 weeks of constant operation, another method should be used to get rid of rats and mice.

Comparison table of rat repellents

Natural repellents and folk remedies: are they effective?

Today, manufacturers present a lot of sprays, granules, sachets, which are recognized to repel rodents - is it effective? Scientists admit that in part yes, but in many respects the effect depends on the active substances of such products. These are usually essential oils that are believed to have a repellent effect: peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, etc.

Scientists explain: “Most deterrents can deter by smell, taste, or induce fear. Pepper, mint, garlic, various essential oils, castor oil, kieselguhr are considered so-called contact repellents of plant origin, acting through smell and taste. The third type of repellent contains animal ingredients, such as urine from predators (such as foxes), dried blood and hair, which panic the animals and cause them to flee."

Based on this, choose mouse repellents wisely - look at the composition and still use traps or poisons as the main method.

Getting rid of rats at home using folk remedies

There are many traditional methods of getting rid of rats. Many believe that they really help to do without poisons and other means. We do not undertake to judge how effective they really are, we will simply list a few popular recipes:

• Mix gypsum and flour 1:1 and leave this handful near a bowl of water - the rodent will eat and want to drink, but over time the gypsum will harden in its stomach.
• You can also drive rats out of a private cottage using ash, which is unpleasant for them because it irritates the skin.
• Make your own repellent: roll cotton balls, dip them in peppermint or eucalyptus essential oil and scatter them where pests have been spotted. This may scare them away.
• Get a cat: For many felines, there is nothing greater joy than chasing rodents - and the more of them, the better for the cat. Then all you have to do is collect dead carcasses around the house. But you cannot rely 100% on this method: not all cats catch mice or rats.

Purchased traps

There are many types of rat traps you can buy in stores or at the market. The price for them varies from several tens to several thousand rubles. Typically, purchased devices are equipped with detailed instructions for use, as well as a description of safety rules when working with them. Common types of traps include:

• Spring rat traps. Primitive, but quite effective traps, working due to a mechanism with a spring. In stores you can find both the simplest versions of such traps and advanced ones - for example, equipped with spikes for instant killing. It is worth noting that classic mousetraps are not suitable for catching rats, since these rodents have different sizes and strengths. The price of mechanical kapok ranges from 30 to 3,500 rubles, depending on their complexity.
• Electrical devices. The principle of operation is similar to spring ones, but instead of mechanical action, an electric current is used to kill the rodent. They can work both from the mains and from a battery or batteries. They cost on average from 3 to 3.5 thousand rubles.
• Sticky traps. They are a surface lubricated with an adhesive substance. Once on it, the rodent can no longer leave and eventually dies from hunger and thirst. The disadvantage of such a trap is that the caught rat remains alive for a long time - it squeals, twitches and tries to get out. This can make some people very uncomfortable. In addition, domestic cats or dogs can get dirty with glue. A sticky rat trap costs about 200-300 rubles.
• Houses and cages. A variety of container devices that close when a rodent gets into them. There are both fatal and harmless to the health of rats. They are most often made of plastic or metal. The cost depends on the material and complexity of the design - it varies from 200 to 1000 or more rubles.

Purchased rat traps allow you to catch a rodent without extra effort and time. They are safe for human health and easy to use.

Ready-made solutions for exterminating rats

Traditional traps and rat traps are effective means of controlling rats. Specialists and technologies will also come to the rescue.

Professional pest control

The most effective method, the only disadvantage of which is its higher cost compared to home methods, which is more than compensated by the result. Professionals have products that are harmless to people and pets. Specialists go to the site, carry out treatment, followed by disposal and wet cleaning of the premises.

Electrical traps

Bait is placed inside. The capture of a rat is indicated by a light or sound signal. The caught rodent is killed by an electric shock.

Ultrasonic and electromagnetic repellers

Waves in this range are harmless to people, but effectively repel pests, causing them an uncontrollable feeling of fear and forcing them to leave the room. The effect occurs after 2-3 weeks. The disadvantage is the possibility of repeated raids after stopping use.

Toxic substances

The effect is achieved through anticoagulant substances. When ingested, the poison causes multiple hemorrhages, kidney and liver failure, and the death of the animal. There are many chemicals available in the market.

Poisons are produced in small volumes and bags for professional processing. They have an immediate or delayed effect.

Important! The poison should be placed in places protected from access by children and pets.

Modern poisons often contain mummifying components, which allow the smell of decomposition to be avoided after the death of the animal.

He has proven himself to be an excellent rat fighter.

Based on the results of clinical studies, the drug is recommended for use by Rospotrebnadzor of the Russian Federation and the Research Institute of Disinfectology as a professional means of protection against rodents. Contains the bitter component “Bitrex”, which prevents accidental eating of the bait by pets. Easy to use and has a cumulative effect. Exposed rats die within 3 weeks.

Advantages of Gryzunoff Offline briquettes:

• efficiency;
• safety for pets;
• protection from all types of rodents;
• cumulative effect;
• long-term exposure.

Briquettes are attractive to rats who prefer dough-like baits to any other bait. A convenient dosage makes it easy to lay out the bait, control the eating process and ensure a high rate of population reduction.

The rat escaped: action strategy

In any extreme conditions, the first thing you need to do is suppress fear and calm down. This rule still applies today, because chaotic running around looking under furniture and bedspreads can very rarely give the expected effect. So let’s breathe out and move on to a systematic search.

1. Close vents, windows, balcony and entrance doors, access to ventilation, sewerage and all other places through which the animal can get out of the living space.
2. Pour out containers of water (basins, buckets, jugs for watering house plants) or at least cover them with a lid, pressing down with something heavy. Of course, decorative pets are much weaker than their free breeding relatives. But caution is never too much.
3. Limit access to hot things - stove, stove, fireplace, dishes with heated contents, various heating devices, iron, steam generator.
4. Try to lure a runaway named by knocking the cage door or cracking food bags. Manipulations will not be very effective if the “free bird” has not yet walked up, is not hungry, or has not yet learned to respond to the sound of the owner’s voice. During the process of sound lures, you need to listen, often a hidden animal can give itself away by random rustling.
5. Check out attractive places to hide. The craving for freedom in rats and rats quickly disappears and the animals climb into all sorts of narrow places. If the pet is not found on your favorite controlled routes, it is worth looking in the cracks between cabinets, on bookshelves between the spines of books and magazines, in old newspapers or between placed souvenirs. When searching for lost items in sofas and beds, you should be careful; it costs nothing to run over tailed small fry.

6. Pay special attention to textiles - curtains, curtains, bedspreads, blankets, clothes left on armchairs and chairs, stacks of unironed linen. It’s not easy to find a trickster in rag barriers, so you need to be extremely careful and careful.
7. Use non-standard methods. If you can’t see or hear the runaway quiet woman, you can try to attract the help of the sworn enemy of the mouse-rat kingdom - a cat. Of course, the predator will have to be monitored in the most strict manner, and if something happens, be ready to immediately come to the aid of the missing pet. Felines have a very keen sense of smell, so it’s worth keeping an eye on their olfactory reactions.
8. Leave the cage open overnight, after putting some liquid goodies inside and pouring water into the drinking bowl. There is no point in leaving solid food; rats do an excellent job of carrying solid food to the places of their improvised burrows.

If none of the tips helped solve the AWOL problem, the last resort remains - installing a special live trap. These are special cages that automatically slam shut after fugitives climb into them in search of goodies suspended on springs. Usually this method works well, but if it doesn’t help, then the tailed gulena is blocked somewhere. Nothing can help here other than turning everything over in the room.

Source

Signs of large rodents

Signs of the presence of a rat How to understand that there are rats in an apartment - you need to pay attention to the evidence. Rodents are extremely careful and try not to show themselves to humans. They are nocturnal. The evidence remains in the morning.

• There is a specific unpleasant odor characteristic of the mouse family.
• Eating food supplies. Rats eat everything a person eats. They can steal meat, lard, cookies, sausage, salad, bread. Any product not hidden in the refrigerator or bread bin.
• Presence of excrement in the form of small black peas.
• Damage to property. Rats' incisors grow daily. To prevent their excessive increase in size, animals are forced to constantly grind their teeth on hard objects. Wooden products, plastic, leather, rubber can be damaged.
• The presence of rustling sounds at night. Rats settle in an apartment under the floor, in the walls, on the ceiling, if there is a layer of insulation there. You can hear the animals gnawing on hard objects, running, and squeaking.

What attracts rats and why they are dangerous

For Pasyuks, the search for food and procreation come first. They have long realized that these instincts are best satisfied near a person’s home, so they try to settle where they can feast on food waste, slop and other things. They are attracted to indoor odors, so they are rarely found in places that are clean and tidy.

Tailed rodents are omnivores and use every possible means to get to leftover food.

Rats really like shops, warehouses and pantries where grains, flour, all kinds of cereals and similar food supplies are stored. Food industry enterprises, including cafes and restaurants, are their favorite habitats.

The fact that rats destroy food and damage property is not the most important reason why you should get rid of them. It is also necessary to protect yourself from toothy pests because they are carriers of dangerous diseases, such as tuberculosis, scabies, plague, typhoid and other rapidly spreading infections.

Rats chew on everything, including cables, and this often causes serious damage and fires.

Cat or dog as a universal rat exterminator

As a rule, a good rat-catcher cat catches rats more effectively than traps, and the use of such an assistant does not require additional effort from a person. If you don’t have such a cat, and there are not many rats in the house, then it makes sense to ask someone you know for a cat. A hungry cat let into the basement or attic will quickly “deal with” your problem.

On a note

A dog of a burrowing breed - Jagdterrier, Welsh terrier, fox terrier, dachshund - can catch an earth rat in an open area (not in the house). It is interesting that these animals have the hunting instinct in their blood; they may not even eat the prey, but they will definitely catch it if they notice it.

It is only important to remember that if you rely on domestic rat catchers, then under no circumstances should you try to poison rats before this. There are many cases where a cat or dog caught a poisoned rat, and then they were treated for a long time in a veterinary clinic, and the animals were not always saved.

Therefore, if you want a cat to catch a rat, make sure that its prey is harmless to it.

About electric traps for rats and mice and the advisability of their use at home

The principle of operation of an electric rat trap is that a rat climbs into it, attracted by the smell of the bait, and when it touches a metal electrode, an electrical circuit is closed on the animal - an electric shock occurs. The video below shows an example of how such a device works:

Electric rat traps are highly effective and easy to use, but they have a serious drawback - on average, such devices are much more expensive than a standard rat trap-squeeze (and some models cost tens of times more).

In general, such a device is well suited for those who want to kill all rodents in the room without blood and without the use of poison. Read more about electric rat traps in a separate article: Using electric rat traps to control rodents