Baltimore City County, Baltimore Rat Control Situation:
Hi There. I just saw your website.... and i'm wondering if you wouldnt mind answering a couple questions for me. We live in Baltimore... We had a rat come in through our dryer vent (we've since had it replaced with one with a flap) and it made a little "home" in the laundry room. anyhow...that one was "caught" and disposed of. Being afraid there may be others in teh house....I put out some traps. My question is....one trap went off the other day...well i noticed it this morning...I didnt hear it or anything. Anyhow...the trap went off and the peanut butter was "flat" but showed no signs of "gnawing" or teeth in the PB that was remaining. The trap was set behind our hall stand and the stand may have been pushed into it by accident. Do you know if this would cause th rat trap to go off? or would the "trigger" have to be touched? Also, would there be "teeth" marks in the PB if it WAS a rat? Oh and the reason I wondered is that I found 4 droppings under the couch the other day (the other rat was disposed of about a week or so ago) and the droppings were brown. Do you know if the droppings woudl still be brown after a week as I wonder if it went under the couch and then back into the laundry room, which is just off the living room. And wonder if those droppings are "old". I have found NO other droppings to date. I'm guessing they would drop wherever they go vs just in a nest right? Thanks so much in advance!!!
Baltimore Rat Control Tip of The Week
Are Rats Smart Animals?
Rats can be trained:
In studies on rats, it's been very easy to train these animals. Scientists have worked with rats to help teach them how to get through mazes, play fetch, train them to dismantle complex items to get a reward, and more.
Rats stick together:
Rats have high levels of emotional intelligence and they often communicate well with one another to warn each other of threats. In a borough of rats, each will work together to make sure that everyone can stay safe. With communications through their squeaks and noises as well as through pheromones it's possible for rats to continually relay information about the surrounding environment and work together to survive.
They have been shown to have personalities:
In observed behavior some rats are considered to be social, others are entertaining and some are fun-loving wanting to play with objects they find like toys. Each rat can have its own tendencies and display their own levels of intelligence.
Rats are social animals:
Rats live in groups and this makes them very social animals. Even though rats typically sleep 12-15 hours a day, they are social during the time that they are awake.
They can recognize each other and come when called:
Rats can be trained to recognize names, they can come when called and they can often tell more about rats and their behavior by watching them. Rats display recognition that goes far beyond what the average animal conveys.
Rats can smell and find their way into many spaces:
Rats have the power to make their way into many spaces. They are often some of the perfect creatures for making their way into your plumbing and they regularly travel through cracks and areas across the home to find food. They are tenacious creatures and they can be considered very smart when finding food.