04/16/2026
The war on rats (and mice)
Let’s talk about what actually works - and what doesn’t.
Poisons and traps are a no-win situation. It’s a revolving door. Remove one, another fills the vacancy. 1-1=1.
And something people don’t think about - whether you’re using poison or just a baited trap, the bait itself is food. What’s the first rule of thumb? Don’t leave food out - it attracts animals - rats and others - to the property.
Another thing to consider: when rodents die, any ectoparasites on them will leave the body looking for their next warm-blooded host - which could be a pet, a person.
And know this: constant removal can make it worse. Research shows it can lead to MORE rodents, not fewer, and increase the proportion carrying pathogens.
Lethal control is not practical.
The only lasting solution is EXCLUSION - rodent-proofing. Done correctly, this is a one-and-done solution that lasts years, often decades.
There are a few companies, including ours, that take this a step further to ensure a space is 100% rodent-proofed and rodent-free. Immediately after repairs are made, we use live-catch traps to remove any animals inside at the time, and release them - and their ectoparasites - outside. We also mark their tails with dye so we can identify repeat offenders. This allows us to verify with confidence that the rodent-proofing was sufficient.
No amount of poison or trapping is going to do this.
So, what do you want to rodent-proof? A home? A garden? A vehicle or RV Because there are solutions for all of these.
Where there is a will, there is a way. You can find a local expert through our trade association website.
https://www.humanewildlifecontrol.org/resources/
Or, for DIYers, my company - Humane Wildlife Control Inc - offers remote consulting with one-on-one guidance. https://humanecontrol.com/remote-consulting/
If you’re simply trying to reduce the number of rodents on your property, there’s still a way to do this without resorting to killing. Rodents need a certain number of calories per day to survive, so they are drawn to properties that provide reliable food - especially high-calorie sources like bird feeders, compost piles, pet food, even dog f***s.
Reduce these food resources around your property, and you will see a reduction in the presence and prevalence of rats and mice.
Let’s rethink our war with rodents. Conflicts arise from human behavior - what we do, or don’t do. That puts us squarely in control. And if there’s a way to permanently resolve a rodent issue without killing the animals, isn’t that the better choice? Animals shouldn’t be paying with their lives for problems we create.