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
Best Ways To Keep Rats Out Of Your Garden
Controlling rats is the initial step in the right path, but it is not a long-term solution. Spying on rats in your home or property will increase your awareness, and there will be a need for a lot of effort focused on getting rid of them. This can reduce the population to a point, but if efforts are sustained for months and months, it will create a cyclical pattern. Once people or homeowners see fewer rats, they reduce rat-proofing efforts, then the population grows, and the problem starts again.
Tips For Handling Rats In The Garden:- Don't leave uneaten pet food outside. Keep pet food stored in plastic containers.
- Store food indoors properly, in containers, if possible. Don't leave food unattended on counters.
- The dense brush that provides shelter should be removed.
- Keep the birdseed off the ground with the help of baffles. Bird feeders should be hung away from eaves or fences that provide easy access for rats.
- Make use of a closed, contained, and secured compost process. At the very least, make sure the food scraps are out of open compost piles.
- Clean up the fruit that falls to the ground.
- Repair gaps greater than 1/4 inch around doors, windows, crawl spaces, screens, attic vents, and anywhere else holes may provide access to inside your home.
- Keep garbage in a secured plastic container with a lid.