How do I get rid of a rat stuck in a dumpster?

If you have spotted a rat in a dumpster and you fancy doing your good deed for the day, you'll be happy to know that it is actually easier than you'd think to get it out. You just need to put something down to allow the animal to get itself out, and this can often be something as simple as a well-placed piece of wood.

The thing with a dumpster is that the sides are smooth, and the rat has no way of getting its claws into something to help haul its furry little butt out. If you were to put some fabric up the sides, and also so that it drapes out of the dumpster a little bit, and then left the rat alone, there's a good chance it would scamper out of its own accord. You don't actually need to do much for the animal to help the little guy out.

As much as you may want that rat to die in that dumpster, is it really necessary? By just moving a simple pieces of wood, or something else that the rat can grip onto, towards the edge of the dumpster so that it can run up, along, and then out – it takes just a moment out of your day, and doesn't really cause you to put any undue stress or strain on yourself.

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Any human that feels trapped is frightened and undergoes a lot of stress at the time. A trapped rat in a dumpster is also very stressed and scared. Rats scavenge for food from garbage and waste bins that do not have lids. These rats do not have maps guiding them in and out of the dumpster and they may be stuck there for several days. 

If you really want to help the rat that is stuck, you should call a wildlife control company or you may release the rat yourself but you must be very careful. Removing the rat and placing it outside the dumpster is not the best way of releasing the rat because it may enter your house, deck, or patio when it escapes. You should not remove it from the dumpster with your bare hands because it may harbor diseases or scratch you. 

When you find a rat in a dumpster, you can consider the following options:

• Do not panic because rats sense fear and this makes them agitated, so be confident and calm. If you become panicky or angry, the situation may become more chaotic and the rat will attack you and bite or scratch. You should take a few deep breaths and move calmly towards the rat. You must not raise your voice or move too quickly.
• Look for a stick that has a branch and also get a cardboard paper and a piece of wood. You should place these inside the dumpster and move away from it. The rat will eventually climb the cardboard using the stick to get out of the dumpster. If the rat is on the cardboard, you must help it get out of the dumpster. You should be calm and gentle when you approach the rat so that it will know that you are a friend that is trying to help.
• The rat cannot get out of the dumpster because the dumpster or waste bin is not full, so you can throw in more trash to fill up the dumpster. The rat can come out of the dumpster easily when the dumpster is full. 
• When the rat comes out of the dumpster, you should not kill it. You should instead call a wildlife control center to handle the rat.
• Poisoning or setting traps for the stuck rat in the dumpster is a bad idea because the stuck rat may not be interested in food. You can empty the trash can if you cannot rescue the rat, but you must do so far away from your yard or property. 

You should not leave a trapped rat for too long inside the dumpster because it may die and dead rats stink and attract more pests. You should call the experts to handle a rat infestation and trapped rats instead of doing it yourself. You may pay for their service, but the professionals will do a better job and advise you on how to prevent a reoccurrence. 

Your trash cans should have lids and make sure you dispose of waste and food remnants properly so that you can avoid a rat infestation.