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
Using Exclusion Funnels To Get Rid Of Rats Without Killing Them
Rats are probably the second most common species of rodent to be found in our towns and cities after rats, and like their larger relations, they can also often find their way into many different areas of the domestic property. Because rats can carry diseases, and can also transmit them by soiling food and water sources, it is natural to want to get rid of them as soon as possible. Exclusion funnels are one approach that can be used to try and get rid of rats from your home.
How Do The Exclusion Funnels Work?
Ultimately, the funnels are designed so that the rats can easily get in through the wide end of the funnel, and can then push themselves out of the narrow end of the funnel when they are leaving a particular area of your property. However, when they try to get back in the narrow end of the funnel the entrance is too small and cannot be prized open, meaning the rats are not able to get back into the area where they are causing the problem. The key aspect with exclusion funnels is that the rats really do need to be contained in one area of the home.
Preparation Work To Install Your Exclusion Funnels
The first step before you install any exclusion funnels in your property is to carry out a detailed search of where they are active, and then to identify all of the holes the rats are using to get in and out of that area. The reason for this is that you need to be able to deal with each entry point the rats may use so that when you install the funnels, they cannot simply come back in through another entry point. While carrying out this work, it is usually a wise precaution to wear long sleeved clothing and gloves, along with a breathing mask and goggles to protect yourself from any disease transmission.
Where To Place Your Exclusion Funnels
It is usually best to only place one or two exclusion funnels, and then seal the remaining access points that you can find in the area where the rats are nesting. When choosing which entry points to install your exclusion funnels, the best options are usually those that have the heaviest traffic, and should be indicated by a greater buildup of rat droppings and urine stains.
Monitoring The Rat Activity In Your Home
Once you have installed the exclusion funnels, the next step is to monitor the area to see how effective the funnels have been. In some cases, this part of the work can actually prove to be quite trial and error, as the rats will often have other secret entry points that you may not have found on your first search of the area. In this instance you will then have to search the area again, and try and find the other access point the rats are using to get in and out.
The Challenges Of Using Exclusion Funnels To Deal With Rats
One of the key benefits of using exclusion funnels to deal with rats is that it doesn?t kill the animals so you don?t have to dispose of any carcasses. However, this also means that the rats can try and find other ways to get into your home, which means it can take longer to deal with them than if you were to use lethal means to deal with a rat infestation. The other issue with using exclusion funnels for such small animals is that because of their size, it is very difficult and detailed work to actually find all of the holes they are using to get in and out.
