“Dog waste is often a leading food source for rats in urban areas,” D'Aniello says. Although it is good that the waste is being eaten, it's definitely not ideal that dog poop that isn't picked up will likely attract both rats and mice, D'Aniello says.
Nor have mothballs, pepper sprays, peppermint, or other smelly chemicals been proven to deter rats. Cat, dog, or human hair or urine sprinkled in a garden also appears to have no impact on rats.
Do rats eat their own faeces and dog poo? Rats will eat their own faeces – up to 40% – as a source of nutrition and the gut flora required to maintain a healthy digestive system. This is known as coprophagy and is because rats do not fully absorb the nutrients from the food they eat.
Rats are not deterred by cats or dogs.”
Some scientists who study rats, along with some pest-control experts, claim that rats are definitely attracted to dog poop and will happily feed on it if it's available. Other experts say dog feces is actually pretty low on the list of foods (and non-food items) that draw rats to people's homes and yards.
Dog poop attracts rodents.
“Dog waste is often a leading food source for rats in urban areas,” D'Aniello says. Although it is good that the waste is being eaten, it's definitely not ideal that dog poop that isn't picked up will likely attract both rats and mice, D'Aniello says.
McCleery, working as part of an international team of researchers found that the combination of dogs and cats reduced rodents from foraging in and around homes and storage buildings. However, dogs or cats by themselves usually won't help rid your farm or dwelling of pest rodents.
While dogs are not rat-catchers in the same sense as cats are, they are excellent rat detectors. A combination of their fantastic sense of smell and their incredible hearing means that they are able to sense rats with ease.
There are two main things that can attract mice and rats to your house – food and shelter. If you don't tidy up properly and there's food waste on the floor or surfaces, rodents are going to love it! Rats and mice also need shelter, particularly during winter to avoid the worst of the cold.
Odors and smells that come from pet waste, pet food, garbage containers, barbecue grills, birdfeeders, and even from unharvested fruit and nuts from plants can attract rats and mice. Good sanitation habits can effectively improve the prevention of attracting rodents in your yard.
They found that rodents stayed away when any household pets (cats or dogs) were present, but also that they tended to venture back into the space if there was a dog present. If a cat was present, the rodents would not come back into the home.
Even though you might not be aware of any intruders, dogs can hear and smell the mice in your walls. Their hearing is so sensitive that they pick up on the tiny scratching sounds that mice make in the walls as they scurry around.
Rats and mice are attracted to the bits of food that are in the poop. You don't see them because they come out at night but they will go after dog poop as a source of food – yuck! Rats and mice are attracted to dog poop left on lawns.
The smell of ammonia is very pungent that it instantly kills rats.
Electric Traps
These battery-powered traps are easy to set up and deliver a high-voltage shock that's lethal to rats but won't harm humans or larger pets. They step on the metal plate, which delivers enough voltage to kill the rat instantly. Just make sure the batteries are functional.
Any new or unexpected noise will frighten them and send them scurrying. However, once rodents get used to a sound, they will no longer fear it. This means that ultrasonic repellents can be effective at first, but if an area has plenty of food and provides shelter, the rats will have a great incentive to return.
Cat, dog, or human hair or urine sprinkled in a garden also appears to have no impact on rats. Beware of anyone claiming they have a secret weapon or chemical that will get rid of rats. There is none.
The Science Behind Dogs Hearing Rats
Some dog breeds have been trained to be able to hear and smell rodents including rats, but all dogs have the excellent sense of smell and hearing that is required to do this. They are able to hear rats with ease even though we may not be able to hear anything.
Rats are afraid of human activity, mostly because humans are so much larger than they are. Rats also fear predators such as hawks, eagles, and other birds of prey. Other animals that rats are afraid of include your cat as well as rat terriers and other dogs that hunt rodents.
You can still use rodent baits without harming your cat or dog. If you're trying to avoid harming your animal, then make sure you use one of two types of rodent baits. First, you can use a bait with a warfarin base. And second, you can use chemicals like brodifacoum, difethialone and bromadialone.
West Highland White Terrier
The West Highland White Terrier, also known as the Westie, is one of the most popular breeds in the United Kingdom and the U.S. This dog was bred to control the rodent population in farms and can quickly catch any rat or mice. All Westies are white, with a soft undercoat and hard outer coat.
Both rats and mice are good climbers and can climb vertical walls and "shimmy" up between walls and drain pipes. Rats are also excellent swimmers and have been known to enter premises through the water traps of the toilet bowl when infestations occur in the main sewerage system.