Rats are very suspicious of new things. Try putting unset, baited traps out for a few days. This allows the rats to become accustomed to the trap and the rat trapper to experiment with which kind of bait works best. Peanut butter, cracked pecans, dried fruit, or dried vanilla pudding mix make good bait. Because rats are extremely nearsighted, they use their whiskers and fur as sensors.
Rats travel along walls and avoid open spaces as much as possible.
Traps should be set so that the trigger is against the wall, or in the direct path of the rat. If you have toilets or sinks that haven't been recently used, the water in the traps can evaporate or settle and rats may enter the house through the sewer pipes. Flush the commodes and run water through the sink about once a week to discourage rat invaders. Austin Chronicle Corp. All rights reserved.