Few rodents are universally feared and reviled as the rat. Similar in shape to a mouse, they are a much larger rodent with a much more negative past. Rather than just being a nuisance, rats have been a health risk throughout the ages, spreading diseases, such as the plague to humans. Rat traps are generally designed to be lethal, as there is very little interest in relocating these potentially dangerous vermin to anywhere else, other than a shallow grave.

The average rat can grow up to 10 inches long and can easily weigh 1 pound. Although they are similar in shape to mice, by contrast, the average mouse only grows to be about 3 inches long and usually weighs less than an ounce. Because of their large size, a rat trap will be much larger and more powerful than a mouse trap. The common spring loaded bar rat trap is strong enough to snap the neck or spine of a rat and is also strong enough to break a human finger. Household pets can also become injured by a rat trap, as the force of the spring may be lethal to cats and small dogs. For this reason, extreme caution should be used when handling a rat trap.

There are other types of rat traps on the market as well, that are less dangerous to handle for people. Many rat traps are cages with doors that close behind the rat when the rat enters the trap. These traps are usually baited with food, such as bread or cheese, which is meant to entice the rat to enter the trap. Because of the large size of a rat, these traps are also capable of capturing other small animals, such as cats, small breeds of dog and rabbits. If you have these types of pets around, it is extremely important that you not poison the food, for risk of poisoning a pet. One of the newest kinds of rat traps on the market is the electronic rat trap. This trap has certain advantages over other types in that it is much safer for people and a single trap can be used to catch and kill many rats.

Although some people do keep rats as pets, most of the time a rat is an unwelcome visitor in your home. If you have a rat problem, the chances are you may need more than just a rat trap. If there are multiple rats in your home, you may want to call in an expert, who can get these dangerous rodents out of your home. With the risk of disease that they carry with them, it is never too soon to get them out of your house!

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