Clarke County, Athens-Clarke Rat Control Situation:
Dave, I just wanted to thank you so much for the great site on dealing with rats in the attic, as well as listing pest control companies that deal with rat issues. I thought I had mice in the attic, but I now think it's rats. I set two mouse snap traps almost three days ago. Early this morning, I was awakened by the sound of plastic banging in the attic. My only thought is that I've caught something, but I don't think it's a mouse. A mouse would have died instantly. Anyway, I do have a few questions for you. First, do you think the mouse trap killed the rat, or will kill it, or is it just injured? Second, any tips on safely climbing in the attic to prevent getting bit by a rat? I noticed your pics on your site about having to get into tight spaces. I would worry about encountering a rat by doing that. One last question, any tips on accessing tight areas for a tall guy? I'm 6'3" and I wasn't able to get close to the soffit area in one area of my home. The particular area has a cathedral ceiling and the roof gets closer to the rafters as you get closer to the soffit area. I attempted to move down in a particular area where I've heard noise, but my legs began cramping really bad.
Athens-Clarke Rat Control Tip of The Week
Why Are Cage Traps Only Occasionally A Good Option For Rats And Why Do Relocated Rats Rarely Survive?
When it comes to getting rid of rats, homeowners are usually faced with the dilemma of how to get them out without actually killing them. This usually makes them consider every possible option just to achieve their aims. To make this possible, several devices have been designed to trap rats in homes. But when considering a humane way to get rid of these pests, cage traps are one of the best devices to use.
The use of cage traps helps to capture rats without actually getting them killed. Unlike the use of other devices such as lethal traps, cage traps help to capture the rats in the most humane way. Using a cage trap doesn't automatically guarantee the fact that the rats you are getting out of your home will be in good health when they are being captured. In most cases, before the homeowners get to even remember to check the cage, the rats are already dehydrated, exhausted, or too weak to survive.
To avoid this and keep the rats in good health, you need to try as much as possible to check on the cage trap constantly and make sure the traps are placed away from sunlight coming from windows and other openings in your home.
After catching a rat, the next thing to do is to relocate the rat. But in most cases, these rats never survive. Rats that are relocated have very slim chances of survival and will not make it past a few days.
Relocated rats find it very difficult to feed on available food in a new environment and might die as a result of starvation. Also, relocating them to an environment they are not familiar with comes with the need to urgently find shelter. In the process of finding shelter with no already established route, a vast majority of them become prey to other animals.
