The first line of defence is to keep them out, sounds simple enough but in practice it can be tricky:

1: Thoroughly check the exterior of your property for rodent access points. So you think it looks OK ?

LOOK Again ! Mice can access your property through a gap the width of an inch and the diameter of a standard pen a Rat can enlarge any gap by gnawing. Pay particular attention to air vents, under doors and around pipes entering your home any gaps need to be filled with cement or crushed chicken wire and expanding foam .Doors will need brush strip fitted. Air vents with large vent holes will need wire mesh fitted to deny rodent access.

2:Thats great but they are already inside my property.

Rats and for that matter Mice need the same things in general terms that we do, food, warmth and somewhere safe to live. So we need to restrict their options by keeping all loose foods in sealed containers, by not leaving spilled food available and dont forget the garbage, overflowing bins are Rat heaven. Rats also need water more if their food source is dry so its a good idea to identify where they are potentially getting food and water and as best as possible restrict these sources. If its not possible to restrict these sources as can often be the case it is still important to identify them so a strategy can be formed for stage three.

3:The final option is to Poison, Trap or ask them to leave!

A variety of poisons are available from your local Farm Suppliers Store: If you have identified that their food source is dry i.e. grain then use a liquid bait would you need more food if you had Plenty or would you need something to wash it down with? Conversely use grain bait if water is not an issue. So far so good ? What if they have access to water and food sources that cant be restricted by you. Trapping is a viable option using conventional traps or sticky boards. Rats are Neophobic which means they have a fear of new objects in their environment so conventional traps will take time on the other hand sticky boards which lay flat on the ground and can be placed along their runs are both quick and effective however they are not for use by the sensitive as being faced with a live Rat stuck to one of these boards is not a pleasant experience also there will be legislation in most countries to ensure best practice on there use.