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We are Boynton Beach Wildlife, and we solve conflicts between people and wild animals. From squirrels in your attic, to raccoons in your trash, to bats, rats, birds, and snakes, we do it all. We specialize in safe and effective solutions to Florida critter problems. We service the greater Boynton Beach region, and we offer fast service - we can usually schedule a same-day appointment. Give us a call at 561-327-6010 any time, 24/7, and we will discuss your unique wild animal problem, and give you a free price quote over the phone. We're ready to take your call now!

Our service range: We service Miami-Dade County, Broward County, and Palm Beach County, and more. We also service Atlantis, Belle Glade, Glen Ridge, Gulf Stream, Haverhill, Highland Beach, Hypoluxo, Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Greenacres, Lake Worth, Pahokee, Palm Beach Gardens, Riviera Beach, South Bay, West Palm Beach, Briny Breezes, Cloud Lake, Juno Beach, Jupiter, Lake Clarke Shores, Lake Park, Loxahatchee Groves, Manalapan, Mangonia Park, Ocean Ridge, Palm Beach, Palm Beach Shores South Palm Beach, and more.

Boynton Beach Wildlife Education: How To Get Rats Out Of The Garage

As a homeowner, you don’t want to have rats in your garage. They will make a mess, chew on boxes or other items you have stored there, and cause other damage. They may even decide to crawl inside your car and cause damage to the engine or other components. Because of this, you want to get the rats out of your garage as quickly as possible. There are a few ways to do this and most of them are similar to the steps you would follow if the rat was in any other area of your home.



Don’t Count On Repellents And Deterrents
If you turn to the internet for a solution to your rat problem, you will probably find a long list of deterrents and repellents that people claim can get rid of the rats. Ultrasonic sound machines are a perfect example. They claim to emit a sound that rats and other rodents can hear but humans can’t. The idea is that the sound will annoy the animals, leading to them leaving. In reality, however, the rats just get used to the sound and start ignoring it. There are also other suggestions, such as store-bought rat repellents and home remedies like ammonia, moth balls, and cayenne pepper. None of these home remedies will work properly all the time. Some people have seen success, but it may have been luck or a coincidence. Instead of relying on repellents or deterrents, try one of the following methods.

Set Up Snap Traps
The most common way to take care of rats in the garage is via snap traps. If you plan on killing the rats, then always pick this method as it is the most effective and humane, killing the rat immediately. Glue traps will catch the rat without killing it, meaning it will die slowly from starvation or dehydration. The rat may also rip of fur or skin trying to escape the glue trap. Poisons are also a bad idea since they don’t work instantly, leaving the rat to suffer for several days. Poisons also pose the problem of finding the rat carcasses, which will most likely be hidden in the rodents’ favorite spot in your garage.

You should ideally set up snap traps in the areas you saw the rats. Keep an eye on them so you can remove the traps once you catch a rat. Always wear gloves when placing the trap and rat carcass in a garbage bag. You will also need to double check your local regulations before throwing out the rat with your regular garbage.

Use Live Traps
If you want a more humane method, then consider live cage traps. As with snap traps, you would set these up in the areas you saw the rats and bait them with something the animals like. If you use a live cage trap, check it every few hours to make sure a captured rat is not left inside to suffer. After catching the rats, you will want to relocate them somewhere far from your home. Once again, check your local regulations since some areas have restrictions on where you can release wildlife and rodents. Keep in mind that relocated rats have a very small chance of survival, but you can improve it slightly by making sure they are in an area with access to food, water, and shelter.

Make Your Garage Unappealing
No matter the method you use of getting rats out of your garage, you need to take the time to make it as unappealing for the animals as possible. Doing this and sealing up the entrances the rats used is the only way to ensure new rats will not come inside. To make your garage unappealing, look at it from a rat’s perspective and make sure there is no obvious food or shelter that can be avoided. Reducing shelter is the biggest challenge, especially if you keep your car or boxes in your garage. At least take steps to clear up clutter to get rid of some hiding places.

Eliminating potential food sources is somewhat easier. If you keep your garbage cans in your garage, make sure that they are tightly sealed so there is no way rats can get inside and access food waste. Avoid keeping pet food or any other food item in your garage, including dry goods stored in plastic bags. If you must keep food in the garage, put it in a tightly sealed container that prevents access and blocks out the smell.

Set Up An Exclusion Device
If you have removed all the food sources from your garage and still have rats, you can try to use an exclusion device. These are one-way doors or funnels that let the rodents leave through an entry point but not come back in. It can be a challenge to set them up in the garage since you are constantly going in and out, but it is possible. You would seal up all potential rat entries into the garage except one and place the exclusion funnel there. Then, make a conscious effort to keep the garage door closed. Once all the rats are gone, you can remove the funnel and seal up the final hole. Although this method can work, trapping tends to be more effective.

Previous Education Articles
What are the most common types of Boynton Beach animals that poop on or in buildings?
How smart are Boynton Beach rats?
What are some of the symptoms of a sick Boynton Beach opossum?
Should I ever poison a Boynton Beach skunk?