Rats are omnivorous scavengers, and their adaptable diet is key to their success in human environments. They seek out energy-dense foods to maximize caloric intake for survival. Understanding this biological drive and their specific preferences is the first step in managing and preventing their presence.
High-Calorie and Nutrient Preferences
Rats exhibit a strong preference for foods rich in fat, sugar, and protein, which offer the highest caloric return. Studies show rats actively choose diets with increasing fat content, consuming more calories from these higher-fat options when available. This drive is about maximizing energy intake for survival and reproduction.
High-fat foods are particularly desirable because fat contains more than twice the calories per gram compared to carbohydrates or protein. This explains their fondness for nuts and seeds, which are naturally high in oils, and for fatty spreads like peanut butter or hazelnut spread. These items provide the dense energy needed to sustain their high metabolism and constant activity.
Sweet foods signal high sugar content and quick energy, making them extremely attractive. Rats are often drawn to fruits, berries, and sugary treats, including chocolate and gumdrops. Protein sources, such as meat scraps, fish, and eggs, are also sought out, providing the necessary building blocks for growth. This combination of fat, sugar, and protein forms the core of a rat’s preferred, high-value diet.
Readily Available Household Food Sources
While rats have clear dietary preferences, their consumption is often dictated by what is most easily accessible in their immediate surroundings. Human homes and yards provide unsecured food sources that rats readily exploit. Improperly secured garbage is a major attractant, offering a buffet of discarded food scraps, leftovers, and decaying produce.
Pantry goods stored in thin cardboard or plastic bags are easily compromised by a rat’s powerful gnawing. Unsealed grains, flour, rice, pasta, and dry cereals become easy targets once the packaging is breached. Pet foods, particularly dry kibble, are energy-dense and often left unsecured in garages, sheds, or outdoor bowls, making them a significant food source.
Outdoor sources like bird feeders and fallen garden produce, such as apples, pears, and berries, also draw rats toward residential areas. The convenience and volume of these supplies mean rats will consume these items, even if they are not their first-choice treats. They prioritize ease of access and proximity to a secure nesting site.
The Critical Need for Water and Non-Food Items
Beyond solid food, rats have a continuous requirement for water, as they cannot survive for long periods without it. A rat typically needs between 15 to 30 milliliters of water daily, though this amount is reduced if their diet consists of very moist foods. They are highly resourceful in finding hydration, using sources like leaky pipes, condensation, pet water bowls, and standing water in containers.
Rats also constantly gnaw on non-food items, a behavior necessary to wear down their continuously growing incisor teeth. This gnawing causes significant property damage, often directed at materials like wood, soft plastics, cardboard, and electrical wiring. While they do not consume these materials for nutrition, they may occasionally nibble on items like soap or beeswax.
Applying Dietary Knowledge for Prevention and Baiting
The most effective method for prevention is eliminating the accessible food and water sources that sustain rat populations. All pantry items, including grains and cereals, should be stored in hard, sealed containers made of metal or thick plastic. Pet food must be secured immediately after use and never left outside overnight.
Waste management is equally important, requiring all indoor and outdoor garbage to be stored in sturdy containers with tight-fitting lids. Eliminating standing water and fixing any leaking plumbing removes their access to reliable hydration. This removal of readily available food sources makes any remaining bait far more attractive.
For baiting, the high-calorie preference of rats should be used to maximize trap effectiveness. Instead of using large chunks of food that rats can steal, a very small, pea-sized amount of sticky, high-protein, or high-fat bait is recommended. Peanut butter, hazelnut spread, or bacon grease are highly attractive and must be pressed firmly onto the trap’s trigger to ensure the rat applies enough pressure to spring the mechanism.