Snap traps are the most humane way to kill rats since it’s instant and pain-free. Check and empty the snap traps every day. If they’re set off, place new traps in the same area to catch any other rats still in your yard. Keep your pets away from snap traps so they don’t accidentally get hurt.
Leave your bait traps out for at least 2 weeks after you see a rat in your yard to make sure you’ve completely gotten rid of them. Keep bait traps away from children and pets since they are poisonous. Avoid using any glue traps since they’re the least humane and it could make the rat suffer before it dies.
Stack firewood 12 inches (30 cm) off the ground to prevent rats from getting into it. [4] X Research source
Look for tree branches that hang over your roof and trim them to stop roof rats from getting in. Try growing spearmint, mint, or citronella since they have strong odors that may deter rats. [6] X Research source
Check your garbage cans periodically for any holes or damage where rats could still get inside. Store your trash cans away from your home to help keep rats from getting inside. If you need to get rats out of your compost, store it in a metal or plastic bin as well.
If you’ve also seen rats in your home, they’ll still be able to smell bagged pet food inside. Pour the food into an air-tight container to get rid of the rats.
If you have low spots in your yard where water puddles up, fill them in with dirt.
You probably won’t be able to find all of the fallen seeds, but even getting rid of the ones you notice will help you get rid of rats in your backyard.
This works better in larger, open areas rather than dense cities since birds of prey will have more to hunt.
