Palm Beach County, Boca Raton Rat Control Situation:
Hello: I just read the information from your email. I recently moved into an actually nice home in the Boca Raton area; however the backyard is a woody area and cross from it is the swamp. The owners of the home told me they had a cat so they never saw a rat except what the cat bought in after killing it. When I moved in which was 3 weeks ago, I started to experience rats in the kitchen, saw droppings all over my stove area. I became overwhelmed and my two children (girls) are now petrified. The owner reluctantly paid for an exterminator because they swore they never had a problem. When the exterminator came out they did a walk through. In the attic rat droppings everywhere, in the downstairs closet rat droppings and in the garage. The exterminator sealed up two openings from the attic, and I was told a tree need to cut down because that was how they were getting in, but in the closet downstairs they seem to have inhabit that area. The exterminator wanted me to remove the poison that was put down and they set traps in all 3 areas mentioned. Do you think this will rid the problem or do I need to relocate?
Hi David - I'm in Boca Raton FL and you don't have anyone here!!! I've had mice in my attic since we built our house - 10 yrs ago. I've snap trapped probably over 100 over the years, and again, now that its getting cold here, we hear the scratching at night. I've also used poison blocks that I scatter throughout the attic. I find them scrivelled up sometimes, but with blown in insulation it is hard to find their paths etc. I've got a stone veneer which results in lots of gaps where the top of the wall meets the metal soffit, so I'm wondering how to proceed on sealing that up? Any help you can suggest would be much appreciated. Thanks Bob
Boca Raton Rat Control Tip of The Week
Rat Damage In The Attic
Having rats in your attic is substantially more than only an irritation. These rodents can cause a lot of harm, mainly because they are generally social animals that live in groups. There is a chance of the rats in your attic putting your family in danger of getting a disease, and these animals will likewise cause physical damage to your attic.
Leaving Feces
The essential harm that rats will cause in an attic is leaving their waste products behind, especially excrement. Depending on the number of rats in the attic and how long they were there, there can be a significant measure of these waste products, requiring serious clean-up. In some cases, the urine may even drench into planks of flooring or other wood structures and compromise their integrity. At the very least, the urine and excrement will debase your attic, spreading illness and causing a foul smell. If you don't deal with this smell, it might attract more wildlife to the attic.
Chewing Wires, Pipes, Insulation, And More
Like mice, rats will bite on almost anything you have in your attic, regardless of whether it is a wire, funnel, or something else. Rats are famous for their gnawing behavior and will bite on anything in your attic. In the case of chewed wires, this can result in a serious fire hazard, especially if you don't know that the wire has been compromised. Rats may likewise damage your pipes and insulation from chewing. Without the insulation fit as a fiddle, your home won't manage temperature as effectively, making you spend more cash to run your cooling in the summer and heating in the winter. If you have anything stored in your attic, for example, books or old furnishings, you can expect these also to be damaged by rats. They will likely be chewed and may even end up covered in waste products.
