Travis County, Austin Rat Control Situation:
David, My dilemma I have a walk up attic w/ a wooded floor, the roof does not have insulation neither do the walls of the attic. between the floor boards you can catch movement of the rats. There is a mother and her nest of young how many is not known. She come and goes through a broken pane in the glass. My fear is the how to retrieve the young and how will i clean up , sanitize the insulation under the floor. the rats roam across the entire attic floor. I realize that you must also catch the mother but how would we ever find the young w so much space to travel? I do have a standard cage set up now by the window pane. thank you Riley
Well, if you catch the mother rat by the window pane, then the young are going to die. And you're going to wind up with a big odor problem. To find the young, I sit in silence, sometimes for up to a half hour if necessary, until the young start chattering. Then if I can't crawl into the area, I cut open the wall/floor and get the young, and use them to catch the mom rat, and I get them all at once. Where in the Austin do you ive? My friend may be able to help you.
My neighbor Frank has been killing these rats because they're on his mango tree, he kills them with a bb gun...I tried of cleaning up my yard cuz they stink and lots flies on them....there is witness that live right behind him which she saw him shot them. I thought its illegal to kill these creatures. I have sent these to my landlord so she can see this..Thanks for your time...
My response: I don't know if it's illegal. I don't think so. Contact Texas Wildlife Commission. Tell this annoying neighbor to clean up his rat carcasses.
Austin Rat Control Tip of The Week
Are Rats Able to Dream?
Talking about rats implies talking about pests. But let's not forget that these curious animals have been used in various scientific studies regarding sleep. In this post, we want to give you a brief description of what has been discovered about rats and sleep.
Do rats sleep?
If you ever have had the chance to see any of these little rodents, you should know that:- They are nocturnal animals
- They do not have the same sleep phases as humans
- They cannot see in color; they are colorblind
- These animals have many interesting characteristics, but the most interesting of them all is they incorporate the REM phase in their sleep
What is the REM cycle?
It is the phase of sleep in which our sleep becomes heavier. The brain waves that predominate behave the way they do when we are awake; this makes our heart rate and pressure increase, as well as the movement of our eyes (Rapid Eye Movement). There is no muscle tone and it is the moment we have dreams. Rats also experience the REM cycle.
So... do rats dream?
We could say yes; studies have shown that these medium-sized rodents incorporate this stage in their sleep phases. It's also important for you to know that their cycles are shorter and more widely spaced throughout the day.
That's why they will probably only see images, due to the absence of reasoning, they could not put together a story in their dreams.
Why they go out at night
It is difficult for a rat to cross your path during the day, and they have the need to go out and look for food. You will rarely see them wandering around during the day, as they tend to hide and sleep. But when night falls, they take advantage of the stillness and silence to seek supplies and prowl around.
