Washtenaw County, Ann Arbor Rat Control Situation:
I came accross your article about killing rats or rodents in the attic. I had a very bad squirrel infestation in my attic, and I had to get professional help. They did just what you recommended by putting cages in two places on or near the roof that were accessable to the attic. It did work for a long time. About eight years in fact. Had no problem after that until now. This problem just started, and I am not sure what is running up there. So far I have not seen any evidence . I never considered rats, but if it is that, I will start leaving a bunch of heavy duty snap traps right away. There is no way however that with the size of my attic, that I am ever going to find their entrance and exit points. I may have to resort to the professional again . Thanks for your info. I hope It might do the trick.
Aloha David! Am I glad to find you! Read your site a few minutes and saw your invite to e-mail you and here I am. Our great hunter cat just brought a baby rat to the front door and when I opened it, I THINK he carried the little creature in. happened so fast, I'm not sure it was in his mouth, but I'm pretty sure and worried about it if he did. He must have been ready to play with it some more, dropped it in the room as he came in, and now I don't know what to do. We share a house, and this room is our bedroom / living room with lots of nooks and crannies, dressers, couch and places to hide..... and die. It was stil very young, so maybe not weaned yet? Can babies survive without a momma rat? It had about a 3-4" long body and a 4-5" tail maybe. It was playing dead by the door and suddenly Kitty Kun, picked it up and ran in with it. (I think) Don't know if it was injured, but I'm also worried about fleas fleeing if the rat dies. What to do? Thanks so much, am especially worried about germs and fleas. With warm aloha, Gail
Ann Arbor Rat Control Tip of The Week
Do Rats Bite Human Necks?
Rodents are omnivorous animals. Their diet is mainly based on seeds, insects, and small animals. In order to hunt, they usually bite their victims' neck to neutralize them and suffocate them until they finally die. Seeing this behavior, some people think that rats will also bite human necks, but this is extremely uncommon.
There are cases where a rat has bit a child's face, neck, and hands. This type of aggressive behavior is often seen when rodents feel that the child's movement could be a threat. On the other hand, sometimes this happens when children are dirty and have food remains on them, thus confusing the rodents.
Complications Of A Rodent Bite
A rat bite can hardly suffocate a human being, but it can have other serious complications produced by the bacteria they carry. Symptoms appear within 3 weeks after the bite when the infected wound heals.
An infectious disease can begin with increased body temperature and chills. Within 3 to 4 days after the onset of the fever, there could be rash, systemic damage to different organs such as heart or brain, and visible swelling of the lymph nodes.
Bites are not the only way a rodent can transmit diseases. Direct contact through scratches produced by infected rats is usually quite harmful as well. However, it is more common to become infected by ingesting food or water contaminated with an infected rats' feces or urine.
Pest control is necessary to look after one's own health and that of your entire family, including household pets. There are cases of domestic animals such as dogs and cats that, when biting rats, can also become contaminated with these diseases which can be deadly.