Compared to all other common pests in Singapore, rodents like rats and mice are by far the most destructive. They don’t just stop at rummaging for food, but they can also cause extensive damages by chewing on electrical wirings, and household items. In severe cases, they can cause massive losses to home or business owners. Additionally, they are transmitters of various diseases that can affect humans.

Thus, having a rodent infestation at home is a very worrying situation. In the event you encounter unwelcomed rats or mice at home, here’s what you can do:

Observe

As they say, it is vital to ‘Know Thy Enemy’. Jumping straight to implementing strategies without an understanding of the rodents will be a hit-and-miss affair, which may cost you more time, effort, and money than actually required. What should you be looking out for when observing the rodents?

Most importantly, you should get familiar with their favourite hangout spots. Do they frequent your kitchen? Is there a particular path they take? Even if you are unable to catch them in action, you can find out from traces of their presence as well.

Seal entry points

As far as possible, seal off all entry points that lead to your home. Apart from obvious ones like doors and windows, don’t forget to invest in sturdy coverings for drains, pipes, and vents as well. Bearing in mind that rodents are experts at squeezing themselves into small openings, your coverings need to be thorough. Leave no gap larger than a coin’s diameter, and use tough materials that rats are less likely to chew through.

Set up rat traps

If you have studied the rodent behaviour in your home, you should know the best spots to place these traps. Rat traps come in many forms, including wooden snap traps, glue traps, and cage traps. Often, one trap is not enough! Place multiple traps at various points of their frequented path, in varying directions.

Select your bait carefully

Some rats are not fussy at all, and take well to almost any kind of bait you lay out, including bacon, peanut butter, or shrimp. Secure the bait with dental floss so that the rat doesn’t have a chance of grabbing and leaving with the bait. Laying out a trail and smearing some of the food at the entrance of the trap also helps to lead rodents there.

However, if you notice that the rodents are being choosy or wary about the bait, you may need to change up the strategy. One way is to clean up other food sources so that they have no choice but to feed from the trap. Another method is to use something they usually eat, so they have no excuse to be picky about the bait.

Call in pest control

Rodents can be smarter creatures than you think – and this makes them very tough contenders in a pest-fighting situation. If all the work of setting up rat traps sounds too challenging or cumbersome, you can employ professional services to help you.

An added advantage of having pest control experts on your side is that they are bound to be more experienced in addressing rodent infestations. With their familiarity with rodent behaviour, they can implement more targeted and effective techniques to eliminate the pests more quickly.