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
Are Rats Able to Enter a Property Through the Plumbing?
Rats are able to swim:
Rats are surprisingly flexible and they have some excellent swimming abilities. Even if they have to make their way in through your pipes, it won't take long for them to make their way into your home if they are located under it in the groundwater. A rat is a perfect size to get through most water pipes or sewage pipes and this can mean easy access into your home.
There are dry spots throughout your plumbing:
Depending on the way your plumbing bends, it is likely that there could be some dry spots within your plumbing or within the inner workings of your home. Rats may enter into your plumbing and may even build nests throughout these dryer areas.
Rats can damage your plumbing:
As well as being able to scurry through your plumbing, rats could potentially damage your plumbing or even clog up your pipes. If there is a major rat problem or a nest nearby, you could be risking the chance that you could damage your neighbor's pipes or have an ongoing rat problem in your own home.
Rats easily enter in through broken lines:
If there are areas of your plumbing that have fallen into disrepair, make sure that they can be properly fixed up. Broken sewer lines or tree roots in your plumbing can often be the perfect place for many rats to make their way into your property.
Check grates and drain covers:
Installing mesh or making sure that you have a proper cover for your drain covers can be important to keeping rats from invading your space. Regularly looking at all of your drains and making sure that a rat can't make their way inside can be very important.
Close your toilet lid:
Closing a toilet lid could be a simple practice you could use that can stop rats from entering your home.