To trap rats, or not to trap rats?

Factual Questions
1

I live in Southern California and roof rats/tree rats are an occupational hazard. I generally ignore them unless they get into the house or garage, but a couple weeks ago two of them ran across the patio while we were eating dinner. This was a little bold for my taste, so I started setting traps in a couple spots where I know they pass through.

So far I’ve killed about 8, which is more than I expected–I figured I’d get 2-4 and then nothing. When they’ve been in the house or garage before I’ve never gotten more than one or two at a time.

Am I now actually attracting more rats to my property with the bait in the traps, or is this a sign that there were indeed an unusually large amount of them around?

I keep loaded traps in the attic and in the garage, and I’m sure the rats can both get in and smell the peanut butter from outside, so that would seem to indicate that I’m not attracting them–none of those traps have gone off in a while. And I can smell the rat piss easily when they’re active in either area.

On the other hand, if I do have an unusually large number of rats around my house this year, they must be hungry–why AREN’T they finding their way into the attic and garage?

By the way, I grow tomatoes and the rats do get after those sometimes, so there is actually a year-round source of temptation–but the rats don’t go after them all the time.

All insight welcome.

PS, there is dog food near a pet door–in another house we had rats come in to steal it, but never so far in this place as far as I can tell, and I keep an eye out for the signs. Not sure what that means in the grand scheme.

2

Keep trapping until you don’t catch anymore. Consider not leaving the dog food out all of the time. If you meant that it was stored there, then store it in an air tight bin. They sell them at Costco, pet stores and online. They’re made to keep rodents out of feed and pet food.

I don’t think you’re attracting more with the traps. I think you always have more than you realize.

Consider putting a few traps inside the house, just to rule that out.

3

If they are ignoring the ‘stay hidden’ imperative, they are severely crowded (my guess).

You undoubtedly have more than a few on the property.

Yes, I’ll get a new one ripped for this, but:
Glue traps next to the dog food. Others will say leave flour and look for footprints. I say - kill 'em while they’re there.

4

I really don’t think the dog food is the issue–I mentioned that as a curious thing, that they’re NOT going after it.

5

Make sure they have no access to food. Food=larger litter sizes=more rats.

Keep trapping. Eventually you will get the last one. The neighbors can feed the rest.

6

And then keep on killing them. Kill every last one of those rat bastards. Then kill some more.

7

How do you know? Dry dogfood is like rat take-out.

8

I don’t like to kill anything. But, rats, mice and cockroaches are on my hit list.