Stark County, Canton Rat Control Situation:
HI there, Came across your website and found it very helpful and hoping you will entertain my question and perhaps direct me to someone in my area. My name is Shanna and I live about an hour north of central Ohio in the town of Canton OH. This summer we did some work on the outside of the house - replaced the sill plate and some of the clapboard. The house, unfortunately was open for quite some time and well, now I'm hearing sounds in the walls - movement, chewing, etc. I'm not sure what it is but here is what I do know: Sounds come at night I've identified where most of the sounds are coming from - unfortunately near my bedroom and they wake me around 2:30 and then again at 4:30 AM! My cat caught and left a juvenile rat on my porch yesterday over night I've not seen any rat holes around the property - I know what they look like from my zookeeper days. I'm assuming it's rats because of the cat but I'm not sure. I set bait traps this eve near the area where I think they are getting in (there are some remaining holes from the construction) and I stuffed insulation in those areas to check in the AM to see if it's been disturbed and if so, where. We will close the holes up ASAP!! Here's my problem and question - we don't have an attack as we've raised all the ceilings on the second floor so should we close all the holes and then look into the one way door or...? Also, I could use some help if you know of anyone in this area.
Canton Rat Control Tip of The Week
How Do Rats Fit In Small Holes, Do They Have Bones?
Rats Can Truly Fit In Small Holes:
A rat needs a space of just about a half an inch to get into an area. Rats have been known to climb through pipes, through areas in the ceiling, and more. Rats can do quite a lot with very little space and this will lead to the chance that they could end up in your home.
Rats Have Joints And Cartilage Like We Do:
The joints and cartilage that rats have can be very similar to the systems that we have. Rats can often work at strengthening their cartilage and joints when they scurry through small spaces. They strengthen their abilities by dashing through small spaces and this ensures that as long as they stay healthy, they can make it through small spaces.
As They Gain Weight They Face Challenges:
As a rat gains weight from staying close to its food source this can lead to the chance that it can no longer fit through holes roughly the size of a quarter. This can make the process of getting into these areas much more challenging. As a rat improves the size of its abdomen, it often loses its ability to fit through tight spaces.
Rats Sense If They Can Fit With Their Whiskers:
Rats are able to fit through areas because their bodies are extremely flexible and cylindrical. The shape of a rat is designed for burrowing and fitting into tight spaces. Rats are able to determine if their body can fit into an area by using their whiskers. This makes every judgment on going through a tight space much easier.
Rats Don't Have Softer Bones:
The skeleton of a rat is just the same as many other rodents. They have hard bones that don't bend and this will often limit the size of the spaces that they can crawl through.