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
Will A Rat Bite A Sleeping Baby?
Infections Rats Can Spread:
The risk of a severe infection from a rat is relatively low and if you happen to notice a wound that could be inflicted by a rat, regularly wash it and keep it dry. Some of the main concerns for infection include rat pox and rat-bite fever. The saliva from some rat species can also contain a series of serious diseases like hantavirus and leptospirosis. A bite from a rodent can also make humans more susceptible to tendinitis. Rats are also known to carry rabies so it is important to consider this as a potential threat as well.
The Appearance Of A Rat Bite:
Rat bites are usually a small and single wound that can also have multiple abrasions where the rat may have walked. It is fairly common for bleeding to occur with these types of bites. The bite will eventually lead to ongoing redness and swelling and depending on the depth of the wound, could possibly generate some pus.
Causes For Concern:
If you happen to notice a small bite, you need to consider watching for symptoms including muscle aches, vomiting, fever, rash, and joint pain. If you find that your baby is extremely fussy, this can be an issue and a cause for concern when you notice the look of a rat bite. A fever can also be an equally concerning factor if you know you have rats in the house.
Rats Will Go To Any Area They Think Has Food:
Rats don't care if your baby is sleeping, they will check out the area and look for signs of food. Making sure that you can prepare your child's room and rid it of rats can be crucial to preventing the chance a rat could infect them or bite them.
