Rats

There are many alternatives to traditional toxic methods of pest control. Almost all of them start with maintaining a clean house, wiping up spills immediately and never leaving food out. If your pests are already established, other methods are often required to remove them. For rodents, traps are perhaps the simplest method and allow you to know exactly where the carcass is for timely disposal. There are two main categories of traps — live traps and kill traps.

Live traps work by luring the rodent into a cage which then closes behind them. Peanut butter, chocolate or dried pet food make good attractants for your trap. The rodent can then be taken away to a safe location and released. These traps are completely safe for pets and children as well.

Kill traps work equally well, though they can pose a small risk to pets or small children who may view them as toys. Be sure to place your traps where they are not easily accessable. Kill traps come in several flavors:

~ Electronic rodent "zappers" are basically a small container with bait inside that will sense the presence of a rodent (or hand so be careful) inside and deliver a lethal jolt of electricity. They usually run on AA batteries and are extremely easy to set up.

~ Snap traps are your standard, stereotypical mouse trap with bait on one end and a spring-loaded "snap" at the other. Snap traps should be set up in groups of two or three since only one side of the trap is lethal. Any rodent that snatches the bait from the non-business end will escape unscathed and probably trap-shy.

~ Glue traps, or glueboards, are just what they sound like: a board with something sticky on it and some bait in the middle. When the rodent walks on the board, they become stuck. These are a favorite among food service establishments since the rodent does not die immedietly giving you a chance to remove them before decomposition starts.

*Remember to always handle rodents with extreme caution. Live ones will bite and scratch and both live and dead ones may be carriers of disease.*

To shoo rodents away and make sure that they stay gone, some people prefer ultrasonic pest repellers. These devices work by emitting a very high-pitched sound that attacks the auditory and nervous system of pets. However, while they claim to be inaudible for pets and humans alike, you wouldn't be the first person to report hearing the whine. At $20 - $50 a piece, these can be an expenisve way to find out that you can hear ultrasonics. Many people report no problems with the devices, however, and are quite happy with the results.

Finally, if you prefer not to deal with the rodents personally, many pest control companies will use trap-only methods if you request it.

Happy Hunting!