What do rats eat

So you can begin by thinking about the environment around you. What wild plants would catch your attention? Fruits and berries will be at the top of most people's lists. After all, even people in cities will often have the chance to grab some wild berries during the summer. Vegetables are also an important part of everyone's diet. But wild, edible, vegetables in most areas aren't nearly as common as fruits and berries. What's more, few people would deny that fruits and berries taste better than carrots or kale.

The average rat would agree to that sentiment. Fruits and berries have another trait that rats love as much as the taste. Fruits and berries won't run away from a rat. As such they don't have to invest many calories into tracking down the sugary delights. Most humans would rather start with dessert before eating their vegetables. And rats are quite similar in that regard.

Meat is far more difficult for a rat to acquire. Most rats love the taste of meat. But they're also not going to get very much of it in their diet. They'll typically indulge in carrion if it hasn't been left to the elements too long.

But in general a wild rat is typically going to get most of his meat from insects. It's only his more urban relatives who get to enjoy the occasional bite of a hamburger or hotdog. The typical rat will value nuts and seeds as much as they do fruit.

One of the big reasons comes down to protein. Rats like meat as a protein rich option. But most wild rats aren't in an environment where they have easy access to it. A rat would much rather forage for food than try to hunt prey animals. This can often provide them with ample calories when they're eating fruits and berries. Likewise, greenery will provide rats with a wide variety of vitamins.

But protein's harder to scavenge for. Thankfully for the rats, they have one fantastic source of plant based protein in the form of nuts and seeds. Some larger nuts can prove a little harder for rats to handle. But for the most part a rat will happily gnaw away at just about any type of nut. Seeds are often even better since they're more suitable for a rat's smaller grip.

There's one additional source of protein that most rats absolutely love - eggs. Eggs are typically pretty large when compared to a rat. But rats are quite capable of eating even the largest eggs.

But what do rats eat in your yard? Probably a lot more than you think. This is especially true in colder months, when their natural food sources have dried up and they need shelter from the elements. What do rats eat in your home? Rats might eat anything people munch on, so there are numerous items that could attract these rodents to your house. Attractive foods can include cereal, oats, rice and vegetables that are stored in cardboard or flimsy plastic, as well as pet food kept in its original packaging.

It can be very difficult for homeowners to get rid of rats on their own, though you can clean house and set snap traps.

Remove competing food sources. The more food you can remove from around the trap, the more successful you will be. It can detract from your overall trapping success having competing traps. NOTE: Due to current Covid restrictions, there may be a delay in orders being dispatched from our warehouse. When you shop our New Zealand website goodnature. Enquire here. Oct 31, A24 , Rat control , Tips. Nuts Rats love any kind of nuts, foraging under walnut trees and hunting out your jar of peanut butter.

Everything you leave behind As some of the best scavengers on the planet, rats are always found living where humans are. What do rats eat as bait? Peanut butter No matter which brand you use, both black and brown rats are sure to love peanut butter on a trap.