If you have a pack rat infestation, read our do-it-yourself guide below to learn how to use pack rat traps, more about this common rodent and how to effectively manage it with the help of our professional rodent control products and techniques.
Pack rats are wood rats that frequently break into homes in the winter to find warmth. Because of their insatiable chewing behaviour, pack rats may wreak havoc and cause a lot of damage.
Step 1: How To Identify Pack Rats (Identification)
- Wood rats are the correct term for pack rats. Their native habitat is in forestry and brushy wilderness areas, which is how they got their name.
These rodents are not just found in the woods; they can also live in humid climates, deserts, and rocky terrain. - Pack rats’ fur is grey or reddish-brown, but their feet and undersides are white. They are not like Norway rats or roof rats in appearance since they have bushy tails and large ears.
- When measuring the length of their tail, pack rats can reach lengths of 12 to 15 inches.
- The typical dens of pack rats measure three feet in height and five feet in diameter. These dens are constructed with grasses, sticks, twigs, and other detritus.
Read also:Â How To Stop Rats From Digging Under Foundation
Step 2: How To Inspect For Pack Rats
Look for evidence of damage or the pack rats themselves. Chew marks on walls and wiring are a few prominent indicators. If they have left behind any faecal droppings, it is another obvious indication of activity.
Pack rats behave similarly to other rats in that they break into a place in pursuit of three necessities: food, water, and shelter.
If you have a garden, you might see them in motion. In the winter, they might even break inside your house in search of warmth. Look for these destructive rodents in your garage, attic, patio, and basement.
Step 3: How To Use Pack Rat Traps (Treatment/Control)
Similar to other rodents, pack rats are easily captured using traps. To improve the chances of capturing the pack rat, we advise using glue traps.
Pack rats may prefer to horde the blocks rather than consume them, making effective control take longer than intended. For this reason, trapping is a preferable option to rodenticide baits.
To make sure that your snap trap treatment works, you’ll need to take steps to “pre-bait.” In other words, we set baited traps without really setting them. This is done because rats often steer clear of strange or novel objects.
Rats become used to the pack rat traps and their food supply by baiting them without setting them. This also makes it possible to watch the trap to see if the bait is being taken, letting us know that the location of the trap is optimal.
Make sure the pack rat traps are placed where rats have been most active—away from children and pets. Set the traps in the attic and around the kitchen.
Place them outside, encircling your house. To observe the effects in the morning, leave the bait in the traps during the night.
Where To Buy Pack Rat Traps
Read also:Â What Smells Keeps Rats Away?
Step 4: How To Prevent Pack Rat (Prevention)
- Take out your caulk and plug any gaps and fractures you find.
- Close all openings that these pests might use to enter. Ensure that all openings, including vents, water pipes, drain spouts, and electrical lines, are sealed. Inspect the attic for vents and close them off.
- When conducting exclusion, Stuf-Fit Copper Mesh is a useful tool. Rats can chew through a variety of materials, but copper is inelastic for them.
This product will guarantee that rats cannot enter your property, even if they manage to remove your sealant. Once you have inserted copper mesh into your holes, caulk them shut. - Since pack rats are climbers and nibblers, they will take advantage of every opening they discover in your house.
Get your windows and doors fixed if they don’t close correctly. Make sure to have any holes around your home’s foundation addressed as well.
Read also:Â Getting Rid Rats and Mice With Baits
Watch the Explanatory Video On How To Use Pack Rat Traps
Conclusion
White-throated Wood Rats are known by their common name, pack rats, and they are found all around the country.
Their constant chewing behaviour makes them a harmful presence even though their bushy tails make them look attractive.
Use exclusion techniques, such as inserting Stuf-Fit Copper Mesh in openings and ports of entrance, to stop pack rat infestations in the future.
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