There is a good chance that any rat you come across will try to scamper away before you've had the chance to clock eyes on it. You might have seen something out of the corner of your eyes, for example, but not quite seen what it was? That might have been a rat - they can run away and hide in the smallest of cracks, holes and crevices. They can run fast, fit in small spaces, and they can even swim, climb, and dig!
You are more than likely going to find that you will encounter a very shy rat, than one that is brave enough to stay and fight you. So shy, in fact, that you won't even be able to trap it if you don't manage to outsmart it. These creatures aren't as dumb as you'd think they are. They have, after all, managed to make it from one side of the world to the other, using humans to transport them.
What happens if you do encounter a shy / hiding rat?
If you can't seem to trap those rats, there are tricks of the trade that we will share with you to make your life easier.
Let's say, for example, that you have been placing traps down for sometime now, but the rats still aren't being caught. You don't seem to be getting anywhere. There are a few reasons as to why this might be happening, but there is a pretty high chance you're placing the traps in the wrong places. If you aren't putting them down in the areas the rats or rat regularly visits, there's a good chance the animal will miss it entirely, even with the best bait in the world.
There are a few things you can try to find out where the rats are most active. You will want to first look for the areas that have the most grease-stained patches. These are often an indication that the fur of the rat is being brushed up against that area, so if there is a lot of staining, it could show lots of activity, or a lot of rats.
Flour will help you in your quest too, as crazy as it may sound. Sprinkle some of this around on a hard and smooth floor, and little tiny paw prints will soon give the game away. You will get a good idea for where the rats are running and hiding, and the areas that are classed as high-traffic.
Of course, another reason why you might not be catching those rats, or, at least, catching as many as you thought, is the wrong bait. Rats will eat almost anything because they are scavengers, but if they aren't taking the bait you're putting down, try something new. Peanut butter seems to work really well, and you will need to bear in mind that fresh food - things such as meat or fresh fruit / vegetables - will rot quite quickly. Peanut butter will not, and is relatively cheap too.
Of course, if you're having trouble catching the rat or rats in your home or business property, give us a call. We can give free advice over the phone, and in the case that you need us to do the job for you, we can usually offer same-day appointments. Oh, and we'll do the whole job too - start to finish. Even clearing up the mess and damage that the rodents leave behind.
Go back to the Rats in the Attic home page.
Finding rats in your home can be shocking and terrifying simultaneously. Discovering that your house is filled with rats and now you have to deal with them can be a bit of a struggle. You might have recognized this problem and now have a lot of questions. In such a situation, it is common to panic and have your mind thinking about multiple things at the same time. Your high levels of concern may have you wondering if rats hide from people. The simple answer to this is, yes rats do hide from people.
Rats hide from people for obvious reasons. Like any other animal, they tend to avoid predators and stay away from any potential threat. It sees you as another predator which can cause it a lot of harm and hence, it sees hiding as the best option. They fear you and try to stay away. Rats are exceptionally intelligent creatures and rely on their skills to sense danger, then they take precautionary measures to make sure they survive. This is the reason why rats are on a lookout for any human and then hide because they see that as the safest option for their survival.
However, they may also be hiding because of their usual activity. Rats are nocturnal creatures and work better during the latter part of the day. On the other hand, humans are most active during the day and take the night off to sleep. This can be one of the reasons why paths never cross. This can seem like rats are hiding from you even when they are going about their usual activity.
Rats are sneaky when it comes to choosing hiding places. They tend to opt for places that are not occupied since this reduces the chances of you finding them. This ensures their safety and increases their chances of survival. Rats also hide in places that have less light so their movements remain hidden. It is important to note that rats can fit in several places easily. They can crawl into any place that is the size of a quarter so any area that is larger than that can be easily accessed. They can be found in the attic or they may choose to hide behind kitchen appliances such as the refrigerator or even behind furniture such as the cupboard or a dresser.
It is important to determine if rats are hiding someplace in your house. Rats usually leave behind certain clues and pieces of evidence that you can use to confirm their presence such as their droppings, paw prints, chew marks, etc. You will be able to tell through the sounds they make when they are moving from one place to another. Their squeaks are hard to miss. Look at the structure of your house to see if there are any chewing marks. You can even look for their droppings which you will be able to identify easily.
