Finding evidence of rats in your home can be scary. These pests are very destructive and can carry serious diseases. Rats can also breed very quickly. You have a short time from when you notice the first rat, to when your home is being overrun. You are probably wondering what kills rats instantly.
Many methods have been developed to deal with rats. They include using snap traps, poison, smoke, baits, electric traps, etc. The goal is to get rid of the rats as soon as possible. However, not all of these methods kill rats instantly.
If you’re looking for a way to get rid of rats that kills instantly, you’re in the right place. We researched the best products in the market and discovered five things that kill rats instantly.
Check Amazon- Effective
- Easy to set up
- You can dispose of the rat without ever seeing it
- Leaves no mess and uses no chemicals
- Requires 4 D batteries (not included)
Check Amazon- These are some of the largest instant kill snap traps on the market
- They have large "mouths" to kill rats instantly
- This pack of four makes them a great value and provides more coverage
- Reusable
- Easy to set up and use
Check Amazon- These electronic traps kill rats that enter its chamber instantly
- The trap delivers a high-voltage shock
- A blinking light tells you that a rat has been killed
- The traps require 4 AA batteries (not included)
- You can bait the trap -- peanut butter is a rat favorite
- Set of four provides maximum coverage
- BARLAS Large Snap Trap Rat Trap | Safe Pedal Design | Rat Killer for Home Office Farm Restaurant (8)
Check Amazon- The design is discreet and doesn't announce that they are rat traps
- Easy to clean ABS plastic
- Kills rats instantly by snapping closed
- Reusable -- simply wash and rinse the trap after use, air dry, refill the bait cup, and place it in an area trafficked by rats
- Made for indoor and outdoor use
Check Amazon- Allows you to kill and dispose of mice without seeing them
- An infrared sensor detects pets and kids to protect them from the trap
- No-escape design
- Easy to clean
- Efficient and mess-free
A-Z-Animals’ Top 5 Products That Kill Rats Instantly
#1 Best Overall: Rat Zapper Classic
The Rat Zapper Classic is our best overall instant rat killer because it’s effective and easy to set up. The design of this electric trap also makes it easy to dispose of the rat without seeing it. It leaves no blood or mess and uses no chemicals.
To use the Rat Zapper Classic, you’ll need four D batteries which you will insert into the battery chamber. Then, you can apply an attractive bait like peanut butter to the back of the trap with a Q-tip to avoid leaving your scent on the bait. Next, place the trap in the area where you see the rats and turn it on. A light will turn green, indicating that the trap is operational.
The Rat Zapper Classic works with a smart circuit technology that senses when a rat enters. Once the rat steps on the metal plate inside, the circuit is completed, and a shock is delivered, killing it instantly. Since rats can restart their hearts, this zapper continues to apply the shock for about two minutes, ensuring that it is dead. The indicator light then turns red to show a successful kill.
This product is effective, but it is also expensive. Moreover, this package only contains a single unit, so you won’t be able to place it in multiple locations for maximum coverage in your home. If you’re looking for a more inexpensive product or one that includes multiples, select another one from this article.
Pros and Cons of the #1 Best Overall: Rat Zapper Classic
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This electronic rodent zapper is simple to set up and it’s extremely effective, leaving no blood or mess and using no chemicals. | You need to bait the trap to attract rats. |
| It operates on four D batteries (not included). | The product is expensive. |
| An indicator light turns on when it’s operational as well as when it has killed a rat. | Only one trap is included in this package, so you won’t be able to place multiples around your home for maximum coverage. |
| Since rats have been known to restart their hearts, the Rat Zapper Classic delivers a shock for about two minutes to ensure that the rat is dead. |
- Effective
- Easy to set up
- You can dispose of the rat without ever seeing it
- Leaves no mess and uses no chemicals
- Requires 4 D batteries (not included)
2. Best Snap Trap: eXuby Powerful Rat Traps
Users say that eXuby traps are some of the market’s largest instant kill snap traps. These powerful rat traps come with large mouths designed to kill rats instantly. This set also gives you great value for your money as it comes in a pack of four that you can reuse multiple times. And if you need more coverage, the product is available in packs of up to 24!
The eXuby Large Trap is easy to set up and use. All you have to do is put the bait in the cup at the bottom, put it in areas where you suspect rats are, and then press to set. Any rat that goes for the bait is snapped and killed instantly.
Reviewers appreciate that this rat trap is designed for hands-free disposal. All you have to do is lift the trap over the trash and press to dispose of the rat. You can reuse the traps. Reviewers also like how humane this trap is since it snaps down with lethal force to kill the rat immediately, thus preventing suffering. Some negative reviews, however, indicated that this trap isn’t powerful enough to kill rats instantly.
Pros and Cons of the eXuby Powerful Rat Traps
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| These powerful snap traps have large mouths designed to kill rats instantly. | Some negative reviews indicated that this trap isn’t powerful enough to kill rats instantly. |
| This listing is for four traps, but they are available in packs of up to 24 traps for maximum coverage. | |
| Simply add bait to the cup at the bottom, place the trap in an area where there’s rat traffic, and press to set the trap. | |
| When a rat goes for the bait, the trap will snap and kill them instantly. | |
| To dispose of the rat, simply open the trap over the trash and press. | |
| These traps are reusable. |
- These are some of the largest instant kill snap traps on the market
- They have large "mouths" to kill rats instantly
- This pack of four makes them a great value and provides more coverage
- Reusable
- Easy to set up and use
3. Best Premium: Victor M241 Indoor Electric Rat Trap
The Victor M241 (set of four) is definitely expensive, but according to reviewers, it’s worth the investment. This electric trap kills rats instantly. It delivers a high-voltage, humane shock and can take out up to ten pests per setting.
Adding bait is also quite easy. All you have to do is place a good bait like peanut butter and turn it on. You can then set the trap along suspected rat passageways. Once it has killed a rat, a blinking green light will show you that the job has been done.
Reviewers like that this trap has a drop chamber that the dead rat is moved into, and then the trap resets itself. The Victor M241 works with four C cell batteries, and you are advised to use a toothpick when setting the bait. This will help you avoid putting your scent on the trap since this scares away the rats.
Pros and Cons of the Victor M241 Indoor Electric Rat Trap
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This set of four electric rat traps kills rats instantly. | This set of four traps is expensive. |
| The trap delivers a high-voltage, humane shock and each trap can take out up to 10 rats per setting. | |
| Adding bait and setting the trap is easy. | |
| The indicator light blinks green when a rat has been killed. | |
| Because this is a set of four, you can place traps in multiple locations for maximum coverage. |
- These electronic traps kill rats that enter its chamber instantly
- The trap delivers a high-voltage shock
- A blinking light tells you that a rat has been killed
- The traps require 4 AA batteries (not included)
- You can bait the trap -- peanut butter is a rat favorite
- Set of four provides maximum coverage
4. Best Discrete Trap: BARLAS Large Snap Rat Trap
The BARLAS Large Snap Rat Trap (set of eight) is an easy-to-use instant kill rat trap with a great design. Reviewers liked that you could set these traps discreetly without announcing that they are traps. This makes it great for indoor and outdoor use.
The BARLAS Trap is easy to clean and reusable because it is made of ABS plastic and works by snapping down on the rat, killing it instantly. All you have to do is remove the bait cup, fill it with bait like peanut butter and then return. You can then set the trap where you suspect rats move for maximum impact.
You’ll appreciate that this trap is reusable, making it a great value. All you have to do is wash, rinse out the trap after use and then air dry. This trap will ensure that no rat escapes, and you don’t have to deal with a stolen bait issue.
A few reviewers reported that some of the traps in their set broke.
Pros and Cons of the BARLAS Large Snap Rat Trap
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| These traps are designed to look discrete, so they don’t “announce” that you have a rat infestation. | A few reviewers reported that some of the traps in their set broke. |
| You can use them indoors or outdoors. | |
| They’re made of easy-to-clean ABS plastic. | |
| They snap down on the rat, killing it instantly. | |
| Simply fill the bait cup and set the trap up on a rat pathway. | |
| They’re reusable; just wash, rinse, and air dry after each kill. |
- The design is discreet and doesn't announce that they are rat traps
- Easy to clean ABS plastic
- Kills rats instantly by snapping closed
- Reusable -- simply wash and rinse the trap after use, air dry, refill the bait cup, and place it in an area trafficked by rats
- Made for indoor and outdoor use
5. Most Efficient: OWLTRA Electric Rat Trap
The Owltra Electric Trap is the most efficient way to kill large populations of rats. One set of four C batteries is enough to exterminate 60 rats! You’ll also like how this rat trap instantly deactivates once the cover is removed to aid with cleaning.
Please note: Rat traps are also available on this Amazon listing.
To use this trap, place a high-protein bait at the back of the trap. Next, you’ll need to power on the device. Finally, you can then put this where rats are suspected of moving around. This product is recommended for use indoors only.
Buyers loved the power bolt that this trap releases, killing the rat in seconds. This trap also has an indicator light to tell you when the job is done. With its no-touch/no-see system, all you have to do is pull off the cover and dispose of the rat in the trash.
Several reviewers said that these traps didn’t kill any rats.
Pros and Cons of the OWLTRA Electric Rat Trap
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| This trap can kill up to 60 rats with one set of four C batteries. | It’s for indoor use only. |
| It deactivates when the cover is removed to keep you safe during cleaning. | Several reviewers said that these traps didn’t kill any rats. |
| Simply bait the device, turn it on, and place it where you suspect rats are. | |
| It kills the rat in seconds. | |
| An indicator light tells you when the job is done. | |
| Simply pull off the cover and dispose of the rat in the trash. |
- Allows you to kill and dispose of mice without seeing them
- An infrared sensor detects pets and kids to protect them from the trap
- No-escape design
- Easy to clean
- Efficient and mess-free
How to Choose the Right Things to Kill Rats Instantly
Using a trap that kills a rat instantly is a humane way to get rid of rats. It is better than having the rat struggle. There are, however, many things to consider when choosing a trap that kills instantly. Some of them include:
- The Area of Use
- Price
- Ease of Disposal
- Method of Killing
Let’s look at these things in more detail.
The Area of Use
Will you be using the traps to take out rats indoors or outdoors? Some rat traps work well for your home but are not recommended for the yard. Look at the specifications and ensure that the trap is recommended for the area where you intend to use it.
Method of Killing
Since you are looking for an instant rat kill, the best rat traps would be electric traps and snap traps. Going for a humane catch and release trap or a glue board would not work in this situation. All they’d do is catch the rat and hold it in place.
Ease of Disposal
A great rat trap makes it easy for you to dispose of the rat after the instant kill. You shouldn’t have to deal with blood, a mess, and other stains. Most of the traps in this review are no touch, no see traps that make it easy to dispose of the rat after the kill.
Price
The price of the instant kill rat trap you purchase should match its features. It should also be affordable as rats are already destructive enough as it is. You shouldn’t have to carry a high extra cost in addition to dealing with rat damage.
What Attracts Rats into Our Homes?
Rats come into the home looking for three things: water, shelter, and food. As long as you have these in your home, there is a chance that rats could visit you. To avoid this, ensure that all scraps and pieces of food around your home are properly put away. Also, act immediately to get rid of rats once you notice their presence.
Keeping Rats Out of Our Homes
Prevention of a rat infestation is important if you want to stay safe and healthy. It also helps you avoid the damages that they could cause to wiring and insulation. There are many natural and non-natural ways to keep rats out of your home.
Some natural ways to keep rats away include sprays like peppermint oil and eucalyptus oils. Some people have also been known to use lemon oil and crushed black pepper. Rats hate the smell of these and so will stay away.
Non-natural methods of keeping rats out of your house include traps, poison, and baits. You could also use wire meshes to block entrance holes to stop the rat from regaining entrance into your home.
When to Call in a Professional
Most rat-removing professionals will use one or two of the methods that we’ve listed here. If you’ve, however, tried them and your rat problem seems to be increasing, then it’s time to call in a professional.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us? Contact the AZ Animals editorial team.
