Rats are one of the greatest threats to human beings in the world. Mosquitos, pandemics, global warming… and rats. Before the massive recession of 2008 that ended most of the positive activity of the government in Ontario and Canada. Lice checks in schools were stopped, breakfast clubs shut down, and the municipal governments of the major cities of the world stopped baiting sewers and public buildings for rat infestations. Like the wildfire that has become lice in schools, spreading to every child with ease, rats have managed to spread and multiply across society to the point that every home has been invaded at least once. Rats are also a highly aggressive infestation that is very difficult to resolve without professional exterminator assistance. 
If you have a rat infestation then it is not entirely your fault but there are definitely things you could do differently to prevent them from being interested in your property. First off remove any and all animal feeding devices. This includes hummingbird feeders, bird feeders, squirrel feeders and the like. These things bring wildlife to your property. You should also make sure to store your garbage properly, tightly sealed bags in a container with a locking lid. You may want to weigh down the bottom of the container with a concrete block to make it harder to knock over. You will also want to find any sources of water. If you have a water feature or a coy pond then you may be in trouble. Rats love water and need to drink it constantly. They have a very high water content which is why it is very dangerous for them to die in the walls of a house as they will rot for weeks and destroy the drywall and insulation. This can cost hundreds and thousands to remove and repair.
Now if you have rats on your property already you need to focus on the possibility of them actually entering the house. To prevent this you must inspect the outside of the house very well for any possible openings rats could use to get inside. You can seal these openings using steel mesh, inflating foam spray and even mortar and concrete. Make sure to seal the weep vents if your home is made of brick. This will help reduce the rat’s ability to enter your home. Do all of this and the rats may not want to stay on your property but it’s likely you will still have to do more.
The zap trap is a new invention that allows you to catch and kill rats, hands-free. The device looks like a long box. It’s usually made of plastic and has something called a kill plate. This is the metal plate the rat stands on when eating the bait inside. The kill plate is pressure activated and will send a powerful electric shock through the rat that should kill it or at least injure it badly. This process will leave some rats on the kill plate which must be cleaned off. This is because rats can smell death, more specifically they can smell their own death. The death of other rats. They can identify them on objects and will stay away from them. For this reason, the traps must be either thrown away with the rat or cleaned very well with bleach and alcohol. If the device is not properly cleaned after every kill the rats will smell the burnt fur and will stay away from the traps.
