How to Keep Rats Out of Your Yard

Plant all shrubs, plants and flower beds a minimum of 36 inches from the base of your house, shed or other physical structures on your property.

Pour a mixture of 1 cup of baking soda and 1 cup of white vinegar into a spray bottle. Secure the spray bottle lid. Shake the bottle for 30 seconds to thoroughly mix the ingredients. Spray the mixture onto outdoor plants, shrubs, bushes and flowers.

Rinse out all garbage cans with hot water. Air-dry the garbage cans or dry them with rags. Tightly tie all garbage bags and place them into the garbage cans. Secure all garbage can lids. Keep garbage cans out of your yard.

Pour the bleach into a five gallon bucket of boiling water. Mop desk and patio surfaces with the mixture.

Place any firewood or other outdoor objects onto raised storage racks that sit at least 1 1/2 feet off of the ground.

Place warfarin or chlorophaconone rat poison around the perimeter of your yard. Follow the prefabricated product instructions for use and application. Intsruct children to avoid playing with or picking up rat poison pellets.

Call your local and state health departments if you see rats. Tell the representative you have spotted rats on your property and provide additional details -- how many you spotted and when you spotted them, for example. Rats are often a community problem and local health departments can assist you in your efforts to eliminate an infestation.

Pick up any dead rats with Latex gloves and newspaper. Place the dead rat in a plastic bag, and tie it tightly before throwing it into a garbage can.