Is it legal for me to trap a rat?

Given the fact that some animal species are protected by law, due to their role in the ecosystem, or the fact that they are endangered species, homeowners are sometimes forbidden by law to trap, remove or kill them. Often, these legal policies stand for bats and squirrels, as well as some species of birds. For example, those who experience bat or squirrel infestation, are often forbidden from trapping, relocating or killing them. Sometimes, home owners have the option of hiring a professional service to relocate these animals safely, but other times, not even that is possible. In many states, homeowners are left only with the option to tolerate these animals until they relocate on their own. But, is it legal to trap rats, in particular?



Rat infestations are a serious problem for homeowners. Rats can literally cause a home to crash if they have been there long enough. Rats will chew on the infrastructure, especially if it's made out of wood, and it could lead to walls, roofs or ceilings crashing. They will also chew on wire installations, which is a fire hazard, and it can leave you in the dark as well. Rats are also a health hazard, as their feces can spread severe infectious diseases. For this reason, rats are dangerous animals to roam around freely in your home. Also, rats will breed and procreate really fast, and there could be less than a month before you have dozens, or even hundreds of rats in your home. For this reason, trapping and killing rats is not illegal, and you are allowed to do it if you experience rat infestations.

Sadly, there is no humane way to remove a rat from your home without killing it. Once rats grow accustomed to living and feed in a single environment, they are not going to be able to adapt to a new environment. Even if you trap rats alive and release them, they will most likely die. For this reason, you are only left with the option to exterminate rats in a humane way. Poisoning them is not one of those ways because rat poison is known to pose a bigger danger to people and other animals, than for being able to kill a rat. In order to kill a rat in a humane way, the best thing to do is use death traps, or trap rats alive and then kill them using a fire weapon.

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