Rats will often scurry to find a hiding spot when you put the light on. The reason for this is not that they are afraid of the light. It is more likely that they are afraid of you. Rats are also nocturnal creatures, meaning they are most active at night. A rat may feel like they are safe from detection in a dark room. As soon as the light is turned on, they feel exposed. This will lead to them running for cover. 

Active during the day 

Few rats are seen out during the day. Apart from the obvious fact that they are more active at night, it also means they are able to avoid human contact. The reason or this is simple. They are scared of humans. They see us as the enemy. Rightly so. If they are able to go unnoticed, they will jump at the opportunity. If the need arises, they are more than capable of going out during the day. 

In cities 

In large cities, there is often a massive problem with the rat population. People often lament about the number of rats that are seen escaping the sewers at night. This is because the city is quiet and they are able to search for discarded food without being bothered. Unfortunately, they have no natural predators in these cities and can breed uninhibitedly. There is also a surplus of food that keeps them well-fed. Why would they leave? 

In homes

It is even less appealing to imagine these rodents making their way into your home. Homes offer safe spaces for rats to live as well as a large supply of food. If you are scared that you may have a rat or ten in your home you should act fast. They breed at an alarming rate and live in large colonies. The best way to keep your home free from rodents is to limit the amount of food that they have access to. By cleaning your kitchen and locking your garbage cans you are making it very difficult for them to find sustenance. Hopefully, this will force them to go elsewhere in search of food. 

You should also try to place all of your cereals in plastic containers that they cannot chew through. They have very strong incisors, and cardboard boxes offer no resistance. 

In an attempt to use their fear against them, you can install motion activated spotlights around your home. As soon as the rats are detected by the sensor, the light will go on. This will create the illusion that they have been spotted by humans. 

If you have left it too late, you may already have a rat problem. In order to get rid of them, you should find all of the holes that they are using to access your home. By closing these you are forcing them to use the remaining openings. Once you have ensured that there is only one opening left, install a one-way exclusion funnel to the outside. This will allow the rats to leave while preventing them from getting back in again. The funnels can be purchased from your local hardware store or online. Make sure that you close the remaining opening when all the rats have vacated the premises.