Rat infestations are always pretty annoying: rats get everywhere, poop everywhere, and eat everything. Some people would just use rat poison or traps, but there are ways to get rid of rats without killing them. A rat cage is a really good option as they don’t kill the rats unlike traps. There are no chemicals at play, they’re reusable, and if an animal like a small dog or cat wanders into the cage, it won’t hurt them. After a rat stumbles into the cage, the rat should be relocated to another area because the rat will most likely return if it’s released nearby.

Many smells and scents like peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, ammonia, garlic, onions and other natural plants that release strong odors can keep rats out of your home as well. Just keeping a clean house and being wary of any holes rats might crawl through can stop any unwanted creatures from coming in as well. If it seems like you have a fairly clean house and still find rats, it might be a leak in a basement or under the house that you have forgotten to check. 

Leftover or discarded food that may have been left out is also a major rat attractor; this can make a house more inviting to a rat so keep those types of things out of reach and put the food away in sealed containers. 

So why should rats live? Why shouldn’t these annoying creatures just be killed?

Well, rats have an amazing environmental impact: they spread seeds around, they are an important link in the food chain, and many rats can be helpful to other animals’ survival. This also applies to other rodents that creep into households.

The heritage building has had a big problem with rats and instead of just killing the rats with poison, the school should set traps instead so the rats can stay alive.

Each rodent has its own place in wildlife, and many are actually going extinct. Having little scientific knowledge besides names and locations of so many rodents, it can be hard to know what they add to the environment; however, they can still be useful. Most rodents are amazing for scattering seeds and keeping the ecosystem alive. They aren’t just annoying pests, they are more valuable than meets the eye.