I seem to have rats in the basement.

HI Caroline,

I just learned a lot about rat control that I would never have thought about if it wasn't for your question. In the article below, This Old House told the story of a woman who had a similar problem with rats. In her case, they called in an exterminator but what fascinate me was the steps that the exterminator took to solve the problem. Apparently there is no instant fix because they reproduce every 28 days an you never know how many babies are still not moving around. Try reading this to see if it gives you any ideas about how to solve this permanently. Wishing you the best.

Bar Bait is great for killing mice and rats. It can usually be found at a farm supply store (ie. Atwoods, Tractor Supply, loca farmers co-op, etc. ). It will take a few days to get them all but it will work. They will dry up and not stink, so you don’t have to find them after they die.

Sounds like it has gotten to the point where you need a good pest control company.... DO NOT WAIT.. the problem will only get worse... HomeAdvisor.com or AngiesList.com can help you find a reference verified one.

You must close all openings. Caulk all cracks and holes. Some terriers love to catch rats - rat terriers? Would yours do that? I think bucket traps work best. There are U-tube videos on how to make one Very simple. Rats do not like light. Keep a light or two on in the attic to drive them away. Put a bucket trap in the basement.

No kill traps bated with dollar store peanut butter is what I use. I would call an exterminator and insist on only organic remedies since you have pets and/or kids. Then have them show you points of entry so you can fix and not have to deal with this again.

First of all find their nest (s). Then to the best of your ability find their entrance points. If you sit quietly in the yard for a while, usually at dusk but anytime really, it depends on your rats. You'll see where they come from and where they are going. Remember trees are a favorite place for rats to build a nest. Put out your traps along their route to/from your house. Peanut butter or bacon work best. Make sure the traps are large enough. In California the ones I used were nearly 4" X 10" and expensive to me at around $10 each. The point is they're no so sensitive that the rat cannot easily steal the bait but are strong enough so the rat cannot wiggle his way out should he live through the initial snap to his neck.

When you find the nest get rid of it and prune the tree so no branches exist giving the critters an easy bridge to your roof or fence. Now you can fix the entrance holes in your house to prevent further traffic. Lastly, get 2 or 3 outdoor cats. You should be fine after all this.

Put a line of boric acid around the outside edges of your attic where it meets the wall. Do the same in the basement if you can keep your pets away from it. You could put in around the basement wall outside but it will kill your grass, has to be reapplied when it rains and your pets might get into it there also. You could try peppermint oil also - not sure if it works with rats but squirrels hate it and I got some out of my attic using it. If you use the oil be aware it does not kill them. It runs them out to give you an opportunity to find where they are coming in and repair it.

Use a bowl of Antifreeze, but put it where the rats can get it, but you dogs can't.