We had 5-10 outside cats for decades. For whatever reason our cats dwindled to the point we only had one old one left. he mice started moving in then we got a rat. I gnawed it's way in and was getting fat off the bird seed in my wife's bird room (a converted bedroom). I set snap traps, foot holds and conibears all of which it avoided. I put out poison that it ignored.

My wife had a half-screen in blocking the bird room door so the dogs couldn't get in but heat from the wood stove could. She has cameras in there and we caught it climbing the screen and hopping down the other side.

I put six of the big sticky traps where it was hopping down, caught it the next night. I heard it get stuck and start squealing so I went back there and smashed it's head in.

We got five outside cats again now and haven't had a rodent problem since they became adults.

I need to remember that if we ever have another one come around.

I keep a couple of #1 jumps fastened to a brick against the wall of my barn at all times. Rarely does a rat move in that I do not have him within 24 hours. My sister had a rat in her house. I took a 5 gallon pail put some ground corn type chicken feed in the bottom of the pail and then set the #1 jump in the pail with the brick. Set the pail in a place that the rat could get easily to the top and jump in. He jumped in the second night and that was that.

One other thing to try if all else fails, 5 gallon bucket with honey in the bottom. Probably could use syrup but the idea is the rat can't jump when it gets honey all over it. I inadvertently left a bucket out with an inch of honey in the bottom. Caught a rat I didn't know I had.