If rats have been making themselves at home in your garage and you have noticed rat droppings, bite marks, and pieces of fur in the structure, you may feel violated and be worried about your possessions becoming damaged due to the presence of the rodents. Use the information below to catch the rats, clean the garage, and prevent rats from infesting your property again. 

Materials You'll Need

• humane traps
• dry nuts
• cheese
• bread crumbs
• plates
• tarps
• disinfectant
• sponges
• cotton cloths
• broom
• vacuum cleaner
• mop
• animal repellent
• herbal oil

Catch Rats And Dispose Of Them

If you are someone who cannot bear to harm anything living, catching rats in humane traps and disposing of the rodents in the woods or a remote setting is an option to contemplate. Purchase humane traps from a wildlife supplier or exterminator. Place the traps in opposite corners of the garage. Set a plate that is filled with dry nuts, bits of cheese, and bread inside of each trap. Open the door to each trap.

After rats are lured into the traps, the doors will close and the rats will not be able to exit the enclosures. Be sure to check daily to see if any rats have been caught. If they are caught, place the traps inside of your vehicle and transport the rats to the woods. After releasing the rats, transport the traps back to your home and prepare them for new rats. Continue this process until all of the rodents have been caught and released. 

Clean The Garage And Deter Rodents

Open the garage door to air out the inside of the structure. Lay tarps on your property and carry items out of the garage before setting them on the tarps. Pour a small amount of liquid disinfectant onto a sponge and move the sponge over possessions that have washable surfaces. Dry the items with a cloth. Sweep the garage floor and use a vacuum cleaner hose to suck up dirt that is located in the corners of the garage.

Pour disinfectant into a bucket and add warm water to the disinfectant. Use a cotton mop to clean the garage's flooring with the disinfectant and water mixture. After the flooring has dried, move the items that are on the tarps back into the garage. If possible, store items on shelves or place the items in neat stacks so that your possessions remain organized. Spray an animal repellent around the perimeter of the garage. A repellent is formulated to deter a variety of animals and will not harm any animals that come into contact with the product.

Dampen a cloth with a lightly-scented herbal oil. Apply a light coating of the oil around the garage door's frame and windows. Rodents and other small animals are not fond of herbal oils and will stay away from surfaces that were treated. 

For more information, talk to companies like Greenleaf Organic Pest Management.