Rat Prevention & Abatement

Help Prevent & Address a Rat Problem in Your Neighborhood

Learn About Rats

  • Rats require roughly one ounce of food a day and a half ounce of water.
  • They can gnaw through plastic, wood, soft metals, wire, and even cinder block and brick.
  • Rats can squeeze into the tiniest of spaces.

Find the Rats

  • Routinely check the perimeter of your dwelling, yard, and any sheds or fences for evidence of burrows.
  • Routinely check trash barrels for evidence of gnawed holes on the bottom and sides.
  • Use rodent-proof containers with tight-fitting lids for garbage and other trash (heavy-duty plastic or metal)
    • Do not store or put trash out for pick-up in bags only.
  • Use rodent-proof containers to store food and pet food.
  • Clean up after pets: rats will feed on leftover pet food and even pet waste.
  • Be aware of rodent activity in and around outdoor gardens and fruit plants in your yard. Rats will eat fruits and vegetables.
  • Wash trash and recycling containers and the areas around them frequently.

Evict the Rats

  • Plug holes in floors and walls with wire mesh (copper, stainless, or aluminum).
  • For holes inside, cover the mesh with spackle, plaster, or hardening sealant.
  • Repair broken windows, doors, screens, and roofs.
  • Tear down or repair dilapidated fences, sheds, and garages.
  • Remove abandoned vehicles, appliances, construction debris, wood piles, and tires from yards.
  • Routinely mow lawns and trim shrubbery.
  • Put bird food in feeders only and don't overfeed. Store seeds in containers with tight lids. Clean up spills daily.
    • If you have a substantial rat issue- remove bird feeders at this time.

Exterminate the Rats

The best way to deal with rats on your property is to hire a licensed pest management professional (ask to see his/her Massachusetts License), who incorporates Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Practices.

  • Never allow traps or poison to be placed where children or pets can reach them.
  • If you perform pest control yourself, carefully read and follow labels on all traps and poison.
  • Lay traps in areas where activity has been noted, and place them no more than 20 feet apart.
  • When emptying a trap or if you find a dead rat, do not handle it with bare hands; use gloves or tools and place it within a trash receptacle.

Prevent the Rats

Rats have a very sensitive nose, which they use to find food, but it can also be used to deter them. There are many chemical repellents, but while some of these can be effective, rats can learn to tolerate and resist them. But in your anti-rat campaign, everything helps. There are a lot of commercial options, as well as some home remedies:

  • Ammonia
  • Peppermint oil
  • Castor oil
  • Citronella oil

Soak several cotton balls in whatever oil or chemical you're using and tuck them in and around your garbage cans and other places you may expect to find rats.