I Don't Think Simon Would Care To Use Humane Traps - Tumblr Posts
Advice for solving my rat problem. I hope this is the sort of advice you give.
Second Reader,
Rats are not an issue i commonly deal with, but were a real problem when I was in prison. Taka's presence helped greatly, though I begged her not to actually consume the things...I knew they put out poison out for the animals.
I would recommend ensuring every food you have be kept in air-tight containers. Rats can chew through much more then Mice can, but if they can't smell food, they'll be less likely to try. Metal cans are good for this, but not the only option. If they have already discovered where you keep yours, you may try moving your storage. Anything they have already gotten open must be disposed of immediately.
If you know of a way for rats to get in, do your best to seal it. an open crawl space is an invitation, even without their ability to chew a new entry point. You can not truly rat-proof your home, but you can insure they work for it.
Set out traps, and do not balk at the idea of lethal ones. It is well and good to respect the lives of animals, but if they stay you will be at risk for serious illness, and if you release them elsewhere then they will scourge another family instead. Releasing them far away from humans is merely turning them lose on an unsuspecting wild population-either they will die, or the animals they meet will. besides that, releasing rodentia is often illegal, for exactly the reasons I just listed. Better to give them a swift death then prolonging suffering-do not subject them to starvation and harsh weather. Kill them to start.
Now, for the other options...you may either get a ratter, or you may poison them. DO NOT UTILIZE BOTH. Taka made herself ill once eating rats that had been poisoned whilst I was in prison, and it was a bloody fucking nightmare. Thankfully, the likelihood of your hunter getting poisoned by the prey is rare, a dose low enough for a rat to survive is typically low enough for your hunter to manage, but it's not worth the risk.
On that note, if you do intend to get a ratter, be aware of possible symptoms. Rats carry illness, and while a Cat is designed to feed on meat, you need to be aware of possible parasites they may pick up. Keep a veterinarian posted of any change in behavior.
If all else fails, Call an exterminator. Stay somewhere else while they work, and return home, hopefully rat free.
Death is part of life, and your home is your castle. Feel no sympathy for the rats who care not for you.
-Simon Blackquill