Yes, releasing rats can be illegal or highly discouraged because they are invasive pests, spread disease, and face high mortality in unfamiliar areas, but laws vary, with some requiring release nearby while others prohibit relocation, making humane euthanasia or contacting authorities best for pest rats; releasing pet rats is harmful to them. In many places, including Australia, rats are considered pests, and releasing them elsewhere introduces disease and damages ecosystems.
You are required by law to release trapped rats and mice on the same property that they were captured on. It is illegal to transport and release them in another location (it can spread diseases and cause an increase in rodent population in the new location).
Holding a live wild animal in a trap is likely to cause considerable suffering and, if you live trap a rat or mouse, you will then need to either: 1) release it in a non-familiar area, sufficiently far away that it cannot find its way back; or 2) humanely kill it.
Controls include baits, or traps, or a combination of the two. See Best Baits/Traps to Get Rid of Rats & Mice in the Home & Garden. Preventatives include the removal of food and water sources, eliminating entry points into the house, as well as the removal of shelter and nesting sites.
Yes, you should be worried and take action if you see a rat in your garden, as it often signals a larger colony and poses health risks (like leptospirosis) and potential damage to your property, requiring you to secure food sources, block entry points, and implement control measures like traps or professional extermination. Seeing one, especially during the day, means they likely have a nearby nest and are looking for abundant food, making it crucial to prevent them from entering your home or harming pets.
Both ammonia and vinegar have sharp, acrid odors that rats detest. Ammonia mimics the smell of predator urine, creating a sense of danger, and vinegar's acidic smell irritates their sensitive noses.
It's possible to repel rats using essential oils such as peppermint oil and other smells that they naturally don't like. Using peppermint oil is one of the easiest ways to keep rats away from your home as long as you aren't giving them an easy food source.
The welfare of all animals, including rats and mice is protected by the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986.
Rats and mice are nocturnal with most activity taking place between approximately one half hour after sunset to about one half hour before sunrise. Garbage is an excellent food source for rodents. Store garbage and rubbish in rodent-proof containers.
Captured mice and rats can be kept calm by placing a towel over the trap. Release them within 100 yards of where they were trapped. (Rodents can also be humanely euthanized by a veterinarian or at a local animal shelter.)
Position the hosepipe or watering can at the entrance, then turn on the water to let it run into the burrow. The water's force should be sufficient to displace the rats from their nest. After the rats have been flushed out, you'll need to seal the hole to prevent their return.
More often than not, rats scream when they are extremely scared, or when they are under attack or in a lot of pain. If you have a pet rat, hopefully you never have to hear them scream, but if you do, make sure to find the source of the problem.
The professional consensus is that if you've spotted one rat, you likely have many more. In a warm and food-rich environment, such as your home, a single breeding pair of rats can quickly turn into a dozen within a few months.
Amish communities get rid of mice using a mix of traditional, low-tech, and natural methods, focusing heavily on prevention (sealing entry points, removing food sources) and humane trapping, often with handmade cage traps, while also using strong scents like peppermint oil or cayenne pepper as repellents, sometimes alongside cats for natural pest control. They avoid modern poisons to maintain their lifestyle and focus on practical, sustainable solutions.
Release the Animal
Drape the dishtowel over the container to make it dark, and place it in a quiet, warm location so the animal can rest for an hour or two. Active and alert animals can be released outdoors during mild weather within a one-block radius of where they were discovered.
Rats are repelled by strong, natural odours that overwhelm their sensitive noses. Common scents they dislike include peppermint oil, ammonia, eucalyptus, and clove oil. Placing cotton balls soaked in these oils near suspected entry points can help deter their presence.
Common culprits include tiny cracks in foundations, gaps around utility lines where pipes and cables enter your home, and even damaged screens on windows and doors that aren't properly sealed. For rats, drains and sewers can also provide a direct route into your property.
Yes, a 22-inch rat was real and found in a home in Normanby, UK, in August 2025, causing alarm and highlighting growing vermin issues linked to new housing and waste. This brown rat, nearly the size of a small cat, was considered an outlier but showed the potential for rats to grow very large, prompting calls for better pest control and sanitation measures in the area.
Camphor/Mothballs
These contain naphthalene, which release a scent that is disliked by rats.
Yes, Rats Can Chew Through Walls
The combination of jaw strength and tooth strength means that a rat can chew through the building materials that make up your walls. Wood, brick, uncured concrete, electrical wiring, plastic, aluminum, and more, are all susceptible to a rat's bite.
Amdro® brand mouse and rat traps offer a revolutionary way to kill rats and mice quickly—guaranteed. Unlike traditional options, Amdro Mouse Traps and Amdro Rat Traps have an innovative ring design that kills rats and mice through the release of a powerful ring around the neck or chest area.
One of the most active times for rats is during autumn due to their preparation for the cold weather ahead. Rats become more active in September-November as they scavenge for food to stockpile and make nests. When temperatures start to drop, rats are less likely to venture out during daylight hours.
Mothballs
The strong chemical smell they give off also makes them effective repellent for rats, but it is also toxic to them. This is because mothballs contain active ingredients like paradichlorobenzene or naphthalene, which are fumigants toxic to both animals and people.
In the case of mice and rats, WD-40 annoys them with its strong scent, which tells them to run far away. Spraying WD-40 around the exteriors of garages, sheds, and other buildings can keep rodents from entering. If termites are an issue where you live, applying WD-40 may keep them at bay, too.