Rats and mice are very similar but also extremely different. Rats are much larger and more aggressive. A mousetrap will hurt them but may not kill them. What it will do is brutally harm them which is inhumane and unnecessary. The rat will continue living in most cases but will have lost a paw or a tail and will struggle to get food and eventually starve.
If you are dealing with a mouse infestation or have suspicions thereof, contact Biehn Mouse Control for a fast and effective complete eradication.
This is why it is so important to use the proper tools when dealing with pests. Using a mousetrap to catch rats will result in a large number of injured starving rats and a rat population that will stay away from all types of snap traps from now on because they saw what happened to their family members. Rat traps are made specifically for rats just as mouse snap traps are made specifically for mice. Trying to interchange them is like trying to use a hammer to screw a screw into the wall. It just does not function properly and will cause much more damage than it will prevent.
If you have a situation that calls for snap traps then you must research the proper tools and methods, like you are doing right now by reading this blog. There is a lot you can do to prevent rats from coming on your property and things you can take away that the rats rely on. Something as minor as a bird feeder can bring scores of rats to your property while a water feature will bring hundreds. Rats have very high water content and need to drink water constantly. If you have a water source on your property like a leaky hose, a sprinkler system that runs at night, or if your property floods in some seasons you will very likely see rats. The best way not to is to be prepared. Do not leave food outside. That includes animal and bird feeders, garbage, pet food and even crumbs. Any food source left outside, like leftovers or spilled food and drink will attract things to your property. If you remove all of those things, you will be preventing rats from coming to your property and if you already have them will be taking away one of their much-needed food sources.
If the situation is severe and you are not sure what you can do, or if you have mobility issues and cannot deal with the situation yourself, you can call in the professionals. The Exterminators Inc can send in trained, insured and experienced technicians that will exclude your home of rat entryways, bait the exterior with poison and install snap traps, properly baited and set, to control and reduce the rat population while pushing the rats out of the house with exclusion and a rat one-way door. This device allows the rats to leave the house but prevents them from re-entering.