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
						
						How Do Rats Use Pheromones To Communicate?
Releaser Pheromones:
Rats communicate using releaser pheromones to send information to other rats that they are in their own territory. Rats often urinate in areas to send information that they are ready to nurse or that a specific area where their nest is located is their own. Rats use these releaser pheromones to claim territory and to make sure that other rats will stay away.
Primer Pheromones:
Primer pheromones are designed to be excreted during the peak of fertility and this is the type of pheromone that sends sexual signals to males in the area. These scents are released in order to attract males and to make sure that the female is going to mate during a time where she is more than likely to conceive.
Primer pheromones are some of the main types of communication tools used by rats and it's one of the most powerful ones that can be sensed in the area. These responses are triggered by the area of the brain called the Vomeronasal and this refers to the overall sense that an adult male gets of the pheromone.
Information Pheromones:
These types of pheromones are designed to be useful for identifying something about the animals or about the area. Rats often use these to convey fear or to share information about an area. Certain species of rats can share information about a food source, safe space, and more with these types of pheromones. Most of the time informational pheromones are designed to identify the smell of other species and to warn other rats of dangers in the area.
Scientists are continuing to study rats to determine the total number of ways that they are able to communicate by pheromones alone.