So, you have done everything right. You had a problem with the rat inside your home and so you decided to use a trap to either capture or terminate this animal. You put out some bait, put it in a location where you know the rat is likely to come around, but are having no success. This Cage shy rat just won't come near your trap. So, what do you do?
Settle Down
Before taking any action, realized that many people start to make dramatic changes because they believe they are doing something significantly wrong. They change to a new trap, move the location of the trap, or give up altogether. Don't get yourself panicked. All it may take is some small changes to have success.
Remove Options
Often, one of the reasons why the rat will not approach the trap is because there are other options available. If it can find food inside a pantry, along the floor, or in your carpeting, there is really no reason for it to go for the trap. This means you need to eliminate any other options out there. You need to thoroughly clean your floor, vacuum, wipe down counters, and seal all containers so that it cannot get in to find other food sources.
Also, make sure that there are no pet dishes out. It only takes a small number of crumbs to give a rat a nutritious meal, so keep your dogs or cat's dish so that it is unavailable to the rats.
Use the Right Bait
Using the right bait is also important. Rats are enticed by smell. That means the stronger the smell is the more likely they are to approach it. This is why such things as cheese and meat make for good baits. Both give off a more pungent smell the longer they are sitting out, which becomes a great enticement for rats.
Also consider using something like peanut butter. It has a strong smell and is also quite sweet. You may be surprised to hear this, but rats have a sweet tooth as well. Plus, peanut butter is not easy to get off the trap. They have to stay there to try to lick it off, which gives more time for the trap to work.
Be Patient
Also, don't expect results to be instantaneous. While you may want that rat captured right now, you may have to wait a day or two. Maybe even a few days. If you have taken all of the proper steps to ensure that there are no other food options for it, it is eventually going to have to come to your trap. When that occurs, you will have success.
Don't let your lack of patience let the rat outsmart you. These traps have worked for centuries, and they will continue to do so. If you have used the right bait, eliminated other sources, and place a trap in a good location, that rat is going to go for it.
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