Seeing a rat in the yard – or worse, inside your home – can be an alarming experience. And for good reason.
“Rats are very intelligent and resourceful,” said Dana Sanchez, Extension wildlife specialist with Oregon State University. “Simply putting down a trap and expecting a rat to fall into it won’t work.”
Rats have long been associated with garbage and unsanitary conditions, which often leads people to avoid acknowledging a problem. That reluctance, Sanchez said, plays to rats’ advantage…