There Is a Rat in My Walls

Signs of Rat Infestation

• Whether you have one rat or multiple rats, look out for warning signs that the rats are living inside the walls. Small black or dark brown hard pebbles indicate rat droppings, which you might find in your kitchen. The rats come out of the walls, feed on food in your cabinets or pantry, and feed off any exposed pet food. Rats prefer nighttime and you might hear the rodents moving around after dusk. Depending on the severity of your infestation, you may even find rat bodies or nests left behind by the rodents.

Removing the Rat

• Remove the rat or rats from your walls with traps. The University of California warns against using bait or poison inside because the rats rot inside the walls after dying. The smell of the decaying rodent bodies may permeate your entire home. Bait the traps with dried fruit, bacon or nuts and place the traps around any entrances to the walls. If you have access to the inside of the walls, such as through a large hole, then use bait traps in those areas as well. If you have a serious infestation, you may need up to 12 rat traps placed 10 feet apart in the walls. Wear rubber gloves while emptying the traps and place the bodies in sealed plastic bags.

Considerations

• Only use rat traps if you see signs of a rat infestation or see rats running loose. Squirrels and other small animals might live inside your walls and mimic the sounds and signs of rats. Contact animal control in your area and ask for help if you are not sure if the problem is a rat. Animal control can identify the type of trapped animals and remove them.

Prevention

• After removing the rats from your walls, you must keep your home clean. Remove any food sources or hiding spots for the rats, including wood piles, boxes kept stacked near the house, food left sitting out or even garbage left in the yard until trash collection. If you keep any hiding areas or food sources around, the rats will come back inside your home. Cover any holes that are at least 1/4 inch across with hardware cloth. Rats enter through the small holes by pushing their heads through and squeezing their lower bodies inside.