Can rats enter a home through a sewer pipe?
• Rats can enter a home through the toilet or open drains in the home • Make sure floor drains are capped with secure drain covers • Keep sink rinsed and as clean as possible, limit use of garbage disposal and avoid dumping grease or fat down the drain • Clean out sewer line once or twice a month by pouring one cup baking soda and one cup vinegar followed by boiling water down drain as an alternative to bleach • Keep toilet lid closed when not in use • If you find a rat in your toilet, remove rat, triple bag and contact garbage company for retrieval instructions For more information on how to rodent proof your home see the downloadable document, “How to Rodent-Proof Your Home” (PDF). CONTROL Should I use a snap trap or rat poison to eliminate rats from my home? • Multnomah county vector control does NOT recommend using poisons in the home; a rat could eat the poison then wander off into a wall and die. Use snap traps baited with peanut butter, meat or fruit, secure traps with fishing l
