any really effective ways to get rid of rats?

I am really afraid to respond to this...I know I'm going to get some nasty replies; Two years ago, we were inundated with rats, I tried everything, including a lot of expensive electronics....they were driving me crazy...so noisy at nite...eating up everything including my electrical wiring and insulation. First, plug up every hole in your home...rats and mice are the only rodents with flexible rib cages, a rat can come in a hole the size of a quarter, a mouse the size up a dime. Keep all drain holes,(laundry sink) etc., covered with mesh, or keep steel wool in it when not used. Keep toilet lids closed, as believe it or not, they will come up your sewer pipes..but they cannot open the lid of your toilet. NOW, for the most effective method that worked for me! I took a tall, 5 gallon pail, filled it just over a third with water....about a third of the way down from the top I put a ring of peanut butter all around the inside, put 2 wooden boards, as ramps, up to the outside of the bucket. I don't want to relate the gory details....but I eliminated them in a hurry. When disposing of the drowned ones, make sure you wear disposable gloves. I know it's not a pretty sight, but I keep this trap going at all time, cause I live in the Country...near barns, where there is grain storage...and so far, it has worked.