Rodents live and thrive in a wide variety of climates and conditions and are often found in and around homes and other buildings, on farms, and in gardens and open fields. They have oversized front teeth for gnawing and check teeth, which are adapted for chewing. Rodents chew on a variety of items available to them and cause great damage in and around homes.
Rodents can spread disease through biting or contact with their fecal matter, or droppings. They can cause damage through their gnawing and feeding on everything from electrical wires to crops. They can be carriers of many serious diseases. Among the diseases rats can transmit to humans or livestock are murine typhus, leptospirosis, salmonellosis (food poisoning), and rat bite fever.
Trapping is the safest and most effective method for controlling rats in and around homes and other structures. Because snap traps can be used over and over, trapping is less costly than poison baits but is also more labor intensive. Although there are a variety of types of traps (e.g., the simple, wooden trap, the newer plastic single kill traps, etc.), finding the best locations to set traps is often more important than what type of trap is used. However, because rats tend to avoid unfamiliar objects, it is often necessary to enlist the services of a local pest control professional when attempting to control an existing rat population.