So, you have decided it's time to crawl through your attic, rat traps in hand and start trapping rats. Before you embark on your eradication campaign, prepare to safeguard your health first. You want to get the rats, not have the rats get you!

Rats can carry numerous diseases including leptospirosis, salmonella, murine typhus, hantavirus, and rat bite fever to name just a few. The list of diseases is much longer but you get the idea. They are all bad, some less common than others, but it pays to be safe and take precautions. One of the most common dangers is salmonella found in rat droppings and you don't want that.

When entering an area that has been infested by rats such as an attic or crawl space, the basic precautions are to wear rubber gloves and a hepa filter mask. This will go a long way towards preventing contact with potential dangers from coming in contact with rat droppings, urine, and rat carcasses. Personally, I like to wear disposable Tyvek coveralls so I don't have to worry about my clothes getting contaminated. It is always best to be as cautious as possible when trapping rats in attics that have been contaminated by rats.

Whether or not there is a rat infestation, a hepa mask should be worn when entering most attics to prevent inhalation of fiberglass which is commonly used for insulation. At the very least, inhaling fiberglass particles in the air is very irritating to the lungs and should always be avoided. In addition, wearing that Tyvek coverall we discussed earlier will help to shield your body and clothes from coming in contact with the insulation which can cause skin irritation and itching.

Once you have your safety equipment on and are ready to start trapping, keep an eye out for some other hazards. Be sure to look up at the attic ceiling if it is very low and you might bump you head against it. Sometimes roofers or carpenters may have used nails while building or repairing the roof that were either too long or missed their mark. When that happens, the pointed end of the nails may protrude through the underside of the roof. If working in tight spaces, it is easy to bump your head against a misplaced nail and get a nasty surprise. Also, be very aware of where you put your feet when crawling around in the attic. Many attics do not have a wood floor but drywall with insulation over it instead. If you step on that, you may find yourself taking a quick trip to the room below as drywall cannot support your weight.

Lastly, if it is summertime, you might think about going up in the attic during the evening or early morning. Wearing full protective gear can be hot. Couple that with the intense summertime heat in many attics and you could be on the fast track to heat stroke. If you feel you are becoming overheated, exit the attic as soon as possible.

So, before you start trapping rats in your attic, take the time to protect yourself and make sure it is the rats who meet their demise, not you.