Do Rats Bite? How Often It Happens and What to Do

Rats usually occur in areas with many food sources, like suburbs, cities, and rural areas. Because they thrive around human environments, people consider them the peskiest rodent. Rats can travel long distances and are smart enough to know to avoid any unknown objects on their foraging paths. As a result, it is very challenging to trap them. Rats also bring diseases with them, like the Bubonic plague and lymphocytic choriomeningitis. Furthermore, they are a potential source of allergens. But do rats bite? Discover how often it happens and what to do if bitten.

Do Rats Bite?

Yes, rats do bite! They possess large teeth and can administer painful bites if threatened. However, healthy rats usually steer clear of people and prefer to forage once everything is quiet. But, if they are cornered, they do defend themselves by biting. Additionally, some rat species carry terrible diseases transmitted through saliva, like Hantavirus and leptospirosis. Furthermore, they can also transfer rat-bite fever, but this is extremely rare. If rats bite humans, the latter is also susceptible to tetanus infections.

So, what does a rat bit look like? They can be shallow or deep, with some displaying single puncture wounds while others have several punctures and abrasions. In addition, the wound usually bleeds. While infections seldom occur, you must always clean rat bites quickly and thoroughly with disinfectant. Furthermore, if you haven’t received a tetanus injection in recent years, it is best to get one. Interestingly, and despite popular belief, North America has never had a case of the transmission of rabies through rodent bites. However, you should still visit a medical professional, just in case.

Signs and Symptoms of a Rat Bite?

The most common symptoms are redness, pain, and swelling around the puncture wound. Furthermore, a secondary infection can cause weeping and a puss-filled wound. However, other symptoms can arise from bacterial infections, like spirillary rate-bite fever and streptobacillary rat-bite fever. The latter includes symptoms such as vomiting, headache, muscle aches, joint pain, fever, and a rash. Usually, they become apparent between 5 to 10 days after the rat bite.

In comparison, spirillary rat-bite fever has symptoms like repetitive fever, swelling, rashes, swollen lymph nodes, and an ulcer at the bite site. These may appear one to three weeks after the bite. However, rabies is rarely transmitted to humans through a rat bite because rats and mice rarely contract rabies. But, regardless, always seek medical attention if bitten by a rat.

Do Rats Attack Humans While Sleeping?

Yes, rats do sometimes attack humans while sleeping. While they usually bite when handled or threatened, they have bitten people, especially children and infants, while asleep. Rats may bite exposed body parts while foraging for food, like hands, toes, fingers, and faces.

Are Rats Scared of Humans?

While not every rat is afraid of humans, most are naturally fearful and cautious of people. These rodents are fully equipped to detect and avoid humans; with their supersonic hearing and excellent smell, they can pick up human presence from a distance. Therefore, they are wary when approaching areas with humans, especially if they had a bad experience in the past, like being threatened or chased. However, some rats have gotten used to living within close proximity to humans, like the huge rats you find in cities. These rates are not scared off easily, as they are used to people and the food that comes with them. Therefore, they can pose a major health risk and should be removed through pest control methods.

What Scares a Rat Away?

Rats can find their way into any home, and if you live in a large city like New York, it’s only a matter of time before they invade your space and decide to build a nest. That’s why it’s essential to prevent this from happening, and you can do it in several ways.

Store All Food in Airtight Containers

One of the main reasons rats invade a home is to get to food sources. While they have certain preferred foods like grains, nuts, and seeds, they will consume almost everything they can find, like meat, insects, and smaller rodents. Furthermore, they will also get into your pet food, so instead of keeping it in bags, get a pet food container. When you cut off their food supply, they will go looking elsewhere. Additionally, do your dishes! Rats even feed off leftovers on dirty plates.

Keep Your Trash Cans Closed

Ensure you have a lid on any trash cans on your property and keep them in the shade, as the heat amplifies the smell. These rats will not only feed on your garbage; they will use any vegetation in your yard for cover. Therefore, it’s essential to keep your trees and shrubs trimmed. Furthermore, some rat species are great climbers and can access your home by climbing a tree near the roof.

Set Out Traps and Bait

Setting a trap is one of the most effective ways to catch a rat. However, it depends on the type of trap used and where you place them. Below are some of the more effective traps:

Snap Traps

These are the traps you see in cartoons. It uses a metal bar that snaps over the rat with immense force when they try to eat whatever treat you place on it. However, it is also a hazard if you have pets or children.

Glue Traps

This is one of the more user-friendly traps because it doesn’t require a complicated setting or baiting. However, you will still need to know where to place them. So, identify possible paths they may take and place the glue traps appropriately.

Electronic Traps

If you want a more modern or humane option, opt for an electronic trap because it uses high-voltage shock to euthanize the trapped rat. Furthermore, it is safe to use around kids and pets and non-toxic. However, they are not suitable for outside use because they are not waterproof.

Homemade Deterrents

You can try plenty of homemade deterrents to prevent buying rat traps. For example, rats can’t stand the smell of peppermint because it irritates their nasal passage. Other items you can try include:

• Peppermint oil: put a few drops on cotton balls and place them in areas prone to rats, like attics, basements, and kitchens.
• Mothballs: unsuitable for homes with children as their smell is harmful. However, it is very effective at repelling rats.
• Ammonia: Mix two cups of ammonia, two teaspoons of detergent, and ¼ of water; rats can’t stand the smell.
• Caulk and steel wool: Fill up gaps with caulk and steel wool; it will trap the rats because they struggle to chew through the material
• Pepper flakes: rats don’t like the smell of pepper flakes, but it also makes it hard for them to breathe.