Is It Legal For Me To Trap A Rat?

The methods people use to trap and kill rats vary from one country to another and also by some sort of local jurisdictions within the same countries. Rats are all over the world with an exception of few areas:

• Parts of Canadian Alberta province
• Islands off the coast of New Zealand
• Antarctica
• Arctic region

Legal rat control techniques in the USA
In USA, most jurisdictions will not only permit individuals to kill rats but also require them to do so. However, there are some restraining laws in various states. The Washington D.C requires trapped wild rats to be released in the neighboring Maryland and Virginia. It also bans glue traps and snap traps. All the states permit rat control with cats and dogs.

Rat control methods in the Common Wealth countries
Just like many animal rights activists groups, Royal Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals (RSPCA) propose the use of humane methods to catch rats. It suggests that you trap and release the rats and you should regularly check traps to make sure rats don’t succumb to starvation and dehydration. You are supposed to release the rats to the wild and the injured ones should be killed with a quick blow to their heads. It is also against the use of poison since it causes slow painful death or the poison may be consumed by other animals.

Australian legal rat control measures
With over 60 species of rats in the region, only the brown and black rats are invasive. There is a clear distinction between the native and invasive rats. Only invasive rats are permitted to be killed. Poison is used only in one condition- a public official should certify that there is a rat infestation in a reported location. The commonly used poison is zinc phosphide or Rat-Off and is only available from the public officials. Australia also permits the use of rat zapper traps and ultrasound deterrents.

European Union legal rat control strategies
The European Commission recommended the ban of rat poison sale to individual, instead, rat poison should be restricted to licensed pest controllers. However, other rat control measures remain available. In the UK, if you set a trap in the outdoors whether the backyard or garden, it should be covered to only allow rats in it. The trapper is financially liable in cases of death or injury to neighbors’ pets.