Fulton County, Atlanta Rat Control Situation:
Hello, I ran across your article rats in the Attic online earlier today. I have some type of critter that moved in a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was a squirrel until I read your article that said squirrels are diurnal in nature. The thing in my attic is most active around 11pm, I can hear it move around a little bit and chewing on something-it sounds like a handsaw operating, and then again about 6am when it chews much more often and much louder. Is this symptomatic of a squirrel or could it be something else? You say rats live in the attic at night, but I don't even want to say the word rat. I live in Southeast Atlanta Georgia, so I'm not sure it's a flying squirrel, and it's definitely not big enough to be a raccoon or a opossum. Any help you could offer me would be very much appreciated. Thank you!
My response: Sounds like rat activity to me. Maybe you should have a wildlife expert come out and inspect your attic. You've got to find out how the rats are getting in, and seal those areas shut with steel.
Hi, I have a rat in my mini van and I can't get rid of it. I have tried traps - they didn't work. Poison - I think this rat thrives on it . I‘ve clean the van of any food and as it is a newish van there isn't anyway to get in. Help! Minnie
David, I live in Atlanta, not near you in Orlando, but I was looking over your photos of the rats. What are you using for bait on the snap traps or does it vary? Specifically dealing with roof rats and have you used traps outside? I'm fairly sure that I have most of the roof rats (sealed all points and it's been a while) but I feel like making sure by setting a few traps. Any hints would be greatly appreciated.
I bait the traps with a thin spread of peanut butter. But the location of the traps is 10x as important as the bait. Set the traps in areas of high rat activity.
Atlanta Rat Control Tip of The Week
The Steps To Get Rats Out Of A Wall
Rats are sneaky pests and will often find their ways through the cavity of walls. These cavities are usually their hideouts and pathways as they move around your house. But there are instances when they get stuck and are unable to find their way out.
Do you have a rat problem in your house, whereby a rat is stuck in the wall and you are looking for a way to get it out? This is no doubt a very difficult task to do, but right here we will be putting you through the process on how to get it out.
The Following Steps Will Guide You On How To Get Rats Out Of Your Wall:
1. When it comes to getting rats out of a wall, the first step you have to take is to look out for every possible entry and exit point around the wall. You intend to remove it, so don't allow it to get away by leaving those holes open. If you find any hole around the wall, you need to block it temporarily.
2. After ensuring that there are no surprise exit points, the next thing you need to do is to find the location of the rat in the wall. Figuring this out is quite easy. All you have to do is knock the wall and wait for the rat to make a scratching noise. Do this repeatedly until you can find its precise location in the wall.
3. The next line of action is to find a way to remove the rat. Ideally, there are two ways to go about it. But your choice of method depends on the location of the rat in the wall. If the rat is at the upper part of the wall, all you have to do is look down into the cavity with a bright flashlight from the top of the wall or the roof space and try removing the rat using a grab stick.
On the other hand, if the rat is at the bottom of the wall, you need to cut a small hole through the wall at the exact location of the rat and carefully remove it without allowing it to escape.
Finally, you need to seal up the hole you created and every other hole leading to the cavity of the wall to prevent this problem from repeating itself.