How do you remove a rat stuck in a dumpster?

It will probably happen at one time or another that you or your family members will see a rat in a dumpster. Why do rats get in dumpsters in the first place and get stuck there? Because garbage cans and dumpsters are an excellent food source for them, a place where they have easy access to large amounts of food. Such locations are something that rats remember and will keep on coming back to for free and abundant meals for as long as food is available for them there. The only way to protect your dumpster from rats is to keep it firmly shut so they can't get inside in the first place. If a rat discovers that a food source isn't available any more, it will move on to find a new one.

Rats are omnivorous rodents, which means they eat almost anything, so garbage cans and dumpsters are excellent restaurants for them. This is one of the most important reasons why there are so many rats and other rodents in cities in comparison to their number in the wilderness.

Rats are attracted to garbage cans and dumpsters by the smell of food leftovers, and if a dumpster or garbage can isn't firmly shut, they will not waste time and will immediately get inside. However, occasionally it happens that a rat can't get out from a dumpster because there is an insufficient amount of trash in a dumpster for a rat to climb onto. Dumpster walls are slick and there is nothing for them to attach onto and climb all the way to the top to jump out. In this situation, a rat will stay stuck in a dumpster and can't get out unless a person helps him out.

If you find a rat stuck in your dumpster, follow the next steps:

• Don't create panic and scream because a rat can experience this as an attack and will try to attack you.

• Look around and locate a piece of a cardboard box or a branch and put it in the dumpster, placing it on its side. A rat will climb over it and jump out of the dumpster.

• It is also a good idea to put other trash in the dumpster as the rat will use it as a support to climb closer to the top of a dumpster.

• You can also push the dumpster to the side so that the rat can get outside easily.

• If you are unwilling to apply any of the previous steps, there is always a possibility to contact the professionals and get them to solve this problem.

Go back to the How to Get Rid of Rats page or email us if you have any other questions about How do you remove a rat stuck in a dumpster?