When you have toddlers at home, you need to be extra sure of keeping everything kid-safe, like attaching rubber stoppers on furniture edges, laying playmats for your little ones to play on, and keeping sharp objects like pencils and scissors in drawers.
Kids love to explore and that’s normal. It’s one of the basic steps they undergo to learn about objects around them and how to solve a problem. Kids are fascinated with things they see, how they work, what’s inside or how they’re made. They’re quick to imitate sounds and actions which makes them restless most of the time, running, climbing, crawling and pulling up.
It’s fun to have active kids at home but along with these energetic acts are serious safety hazards that lurk in and around the home — falls, fires, choking, cuts, strangling, drowning, burns and even poisoning — which may be caused by accidents. Moreso, even the things we use to secure safety, like rat traps to get rid of pests, may also harm us.
Rat traps are supposed to keep the family and the home safe from rat attacks, but they could become harmful when improperly and unsafely set up, especially to kids. The little ones might just be amused by how the rat trap is set up, how it works and even attempt to place bait in it themselves, which could lead to accidents or cause diseases.
So take on some tips on how to set up great rat traps at home.
The Right Places for the Trap
First, identify their hiding places in the house: check the attic, the garden and sheds, the loft, the basement, the garage, the kitchen, the office, in drains and sewers, and even in between walls. Rats usually hide in dark places where they feel secure and there is a source of food.
Inform everyone at home — especially the kids — of the rat-infested places and where you will be setting up rat traps. You can probably post temporary signage on walls or areas where rat traps have been placed as precaution to people at home who may be lodging in these places.
The Tastiest Bait
No rat would say no to chocolates, cherries, rice, peas, meat, corn, even dog food and of course, their favourite, cheese. Even things like soap, leather, fur, candy, milk, vegetables, eggs, fruits, nuts and snails can add to their voracious diet. You can try any of these to bait your rat traps.
The Right Trap Position
Place the rat trap flush against the wall, in a perpendicular or T position, with the trigger very close to the wall. Otherwise if placed lengthwise, the trap’s efficiency is reduced by fifty percent. The T position is much more effective than lengthwise as it is accessible from either end, with a higher chance for the rat to hit the trigger whether it’s coming from the right or from the left.
The Natural Rat Repellent
Since rats love to feast on vegetables and fruits, why not grow plants that are good rat repellents in your garden, like peppermint, spearmint, balsam fir, sagebrush, daffodils and hyacinth? Using natural repellents is a safer method to rid your home of rats and your kids from possible hazards.
**Collaborative post**
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