Rats are nocturnal animals and can see well in the dark, but do darks avoid light if it shines on them from an external source? Being nocturnal also means that a rat will be most active at night and not during the day.
Do rats avoid light? Yes, rats avoid light because of their instinct to hide in dark places during the day and come out in the stillness of the night. However, there are certain kinds of lights that the rats will avoid.
These are the flashing lights. That is why many companies sell such light machines that have been designed to deter rats by shining light on them in flashes. This has proven to be effective in keeping the rats away.
Will Sleeping With Lights On Keep Rats Away?
One of the main reasons why rats are more out and about at night is that it is the best time to avoid large animals and predators.
However, if your light is continuously on during the night, the rats will adjust to it and keep creeping here and there.
The best way to keep the rats at bay is to install flashing lights in your garages or go-downs simply. If you suspect the presence of rats, you can also generate loud noises by using a metal container and tongs to keep the rats away.
This way, the rats are scared off and do not come near the residential areas.
However, you can keep track of the presence of rats by looking for their fecal matter. If the droppings are found here and there, rats still inhabit the place.
Do Rats Prefer Dark Or Light?
The rats prefer the dark as they are sensitive to light. The light is known for causing harm to the eyes of the rats.
That is why the rats usually prefer a semi-shaded environment or complete darkness that can be found underground.
Rats cannot see properly during the daytime as the brightness of the light almost blinds them.
That is why they cannot search for their food during the daylight. Hence, they sleep and rest during the day only to come out late at night.
What Color Light Do Rats Hate?
Lights can be used as a harmless and safe source of repellent. The flashing LED ribbon lights or the flashing strobe lights can emit any color of your choice.
The perfect color to adjust is the warm shade of white light. Rats cannot see the red color at all. Also, rats are near-sighted animals, which means they must come near the source to make out its color.
Rope lights are also good for keeping the mice far away. The most significant advantage of using a rope light is that it can be operated via a remote, Bluetooth device, or phone.
You can change the brightness as well as color as per your requirement.
Will A Strobe Light Keep Rats Away?
EVICTOR® strobe lights have proven to be very successful in keeping the rats, squirrels, and raccoons away. They have been tested in residential areas with a significant population of rats.
Strobe lights produce regular flashes of light with a pre-determined time interval. The frequency of these light flashes keeps the rats away from a particular territory.
However, there are certain people who do not like the presence of flashing lights. They can simply install any bright lightbulb that helps.
On the contrary, this will not compete against the strobing lights in terms of effectiveness.
Lights To Deter Rats
Many people do not want to go through the inconvenience of targeting and killing a rat. Most people do not even want to use rat poisons as they do not like picking up a rat’s dead body afterward.
Neither do people want to locate the rat’s body through its rotting smell.
That is why lights are used to keep the rats away. All you have to do is install a flashing light in your garden or balcony.
Heightened places are usually preferred. You can turn the light on at night before going to bed. Now, you won’t have to worry about your home being overrun by scuttling rats.
How Do Rats Know When To Come Out?
The presence and absence of light make a rat judge whether it should come out or not. Rats are seldom seen during the day.
However, you can look for signs of squeaking in the walls, cabinets, or drawers. Moreover, scuttling sounds can be heard only if you may get enough attention.
As the sun goes down and the night begins, the rats sense the lack of movement in their surrounding as the rest of the animals sleep right after sunset.
Moreover, rats are nocturnal and feel the absence of light as it no longer blinds them during the night.
The lower intensity of light is the critical signal for the rat to come out of its hideout and start running here and there to look for food.
Even though the nights are shorter than the days, rats utilize this time very well to collect and store food stocks.
Will Rats Stay Away From Light?
Rats will stay away from light as they are not comfortable with the idea of coming out during the day and looking for food. Like all the other nocturnal animals, a rat will wait till nightfall before it steps outside to explore.
Similarly, if you install lights up on your porch, it is unlikely that a rat will come over there. However, rats are intelligent animals. They can dig pathways underground and will keep on prolonging it till they reach the food source. Then the rat will come out to directly grab it and take it into its hiding spot.
Do Rats Avoid Light At Night?
Rats avoid light, whether it is during the day or at night. They are very cautious when it comes to being in contact with minimal light intensity.
Rats will prefer to run away and hide in the darkest place rather than be exposed to light.
This is one point where the humans have leverage and can use this against the rats to keep them restricted to their hideouts till they eventually die out of hunger and starvation.
However, sometimes keeping the rats away is not the solution. You must come up with ways of killing them otherwise their will breed so much that eventually, your whole residential area can be overcome with the population of rats.
Do Lights Keep Pack Rats Away?
Woodrats are also known as pack rats. They are distinguishable based on their hairy tails, large ears, and fine fur. For keeping the pack rats away, it is advisable that you keep rope lights or strobe lights under the car. These lights will scare the rats away.
Moreover, you can seal all the open entrances to the garage. This way, the rats will not be able to get in, and even the ones that get in will be scared away by the lights.
Does Light Attract Rats?
No, the light does not attract rats, but It is instead used as a strategy to keep them away. Only darkness and confined spaces can attract rats. Rats are usually found in places with food sources, like a kitchen.
They will make sure that they reach and have direct access to food.
Using a light source as a deterrent to keep the rats away is a good way of preventing them from attacking your house’s food stocks.
There are other ways also, like setting traps for the rats. You need to attach a food source to the trap that will act as bait to lure the rat in.
Once the rat has taken the bait, you can finish it off by either poison or shooting it down.
Why Are Rats Afraid Of Light
The rats are not afraid of the light, but rather, they avoid it as their ability to see does not allow them to see well in the presence of light.
The rats are almost blinded during daylight if they are directly exposed to sunlight.
They do not need extra light to be able to see appropriately. The lesser the morning, the better it is for them.
Though generally, the rats come out at night, they can come out during the days when light intensity is lower than the usual routine.
However, rats can also come out in desperate circumstances like injured or finished food stocks. They come out to feed and keep themselves thriving.
Does Light Affect Rats?
The light only affects the presence and absence of rats. Rats do not like light and tend to avoid it mostly.
Thus it can affect their movement directly. Instead of running towards the light to have a better view, the rats run away from it.
Rats usually find a way to fulfill all their needs at night, and it is only in the dire time they come out during the day and search for food.
Conclusion
Rats are nocturnal organisms and prefer to come out at night. They have the ocular strength to distinguish things at night. Hence, they are better searchers of food during the night than during the day.
A rat will rarely come out during the day, and this can be used against the rats to keep them away for good. Many people install flashing lights in their gardens or outside entrances to scare the rats away.
However, always scaring them away will only get rid of them temporarily. One must adopt ways to eliminate rats for good as they are carriers of viral diseases and can also contaminate your food stocks.
References
Controlling the Rat- Newyork State
Getting Rid of Rodents- British Columbia
