Albany County, Albany Rat Control Situation:
Hi David, I am writing you from Albany NY and I've had /have mice and rats around my property and mice in my roof. A licensed pest control company has done a quick inspection in my roof and because of insulation he put blue/green dry/dried blocks in the roof (forgotten the name!), and he has done this at least twice. He found one mouse in the roof space/ cavity. This mouse was the only one and he found that was underneath one air-conditioning duct. The stink in the house was bad but he placed a deodorising item in that spot. I really feel that there is still activity as I seem hear persistent cracking sound coming from the roof space on occasions. Evidence of having rats (lots of poo was found) in my garden shed. Bait was placed in the shed and it seems that the rats may have "relocated" after having eaten this dry stuff and probably would have died somewhere else. Nothing observed but I really feel at un-ease about my beautiful house that is only just 7 years old. I am really thinking that a few run down houses away from me is where the offending creatures are coming from. Both on the left and right side of my house are the course of the trouble and I have parted with $600.00 in pest control and $3.500.00 in gutterguard, professionally installed. The council has written letters to the occupiers of these houses. Also the weep-holes are fitted with a barrier against vermin. I cleaned out the shed and have disposed of as much stuff possible. My family has helped cleaning that area and sealed the holes and entry points as well. How am I able to find someone who can address my needs to identify possible hick-ups which may have been overlooked? You are saying that I may need professional wildlife removal instead of pest control, as they really don't address the problem properly? Hope I make sense with my letter and I live in Salisbury,South Australia, 5108 Thanks in advance
Albany Rat Control Tip of The Week
Are Mice or Rats Easier to Trap?
Intelligence:
Mice can often be much easier to trap because they are naturally curious creatures. It often takes just one or two days to capture a mouse after setting up a mousetrap. If you're having difficulty trapping a mouse you could consider moving it to a different location. Rats can be extremely intelligent and they communicate with each other meaning that any new objects will often bring about suspicion.
Reproduction:
Rats often reproduce at a much faster rate and this can make it difficult to control a rat problem if it's been going on for a long time. Most mice have around eight litters per year with around 5 to 6 pups in each litter. Rats can have between 6 to 12 pups in their litter.
Diet:
Rats can often be ravenous eaters and often require meat or a more substantial food source in order to remain satisfied. This can often make rats very difficult to trap because they can be so fussy about their food.
Size:
Rats have a definite size advantage over mice and this often means using much larger traps and some extra measures when it comes to keeping them in a trap. Because of the extra costs of these larger traps and the need to be more careful with where you set them, the requirements to trap a rat can be considerably higher than what it takes to trap the average mouse. Most rats can reach a length of between 7-10 inches and weigh up to a pound whereas the typical house mouse maxes out around 8 inches including its tail.
Tracking:
It's often easier to track rats because they leave larger footprints and they can cause a bit more destruction with their added size and strength. This can make finding rats throughout your home a bit easier.
