Mecklenburg County, Charlotte Rat Control Situation:
Hi David, great website and thanks for all the tips. I got a couple questions related to a rat trapped in my garage for the past 6 weeks. He got in because the garage door was left open and can't get out. I've place 4 snap traps baited with peanut butter in areas that he frequents as well as along walls. I've also placed glue traps in similar areas. This rat has avoided all these traps so far but he did trigger a bunch of smaller snap mouse traps that I placed weeks ago when I thought he was a mouse, and not a rat. Questions: 1.) how long do I wait for him to trigger a snap trap? I think he's pretty hungry since I took out any potential for food for him out of the garage. 2.) should I move my cars out of the garage for fear of him gnawing at the hoses/wires? 3.) do you think I can "flush" him out...remove all cars, boxes, stuff, places for him to hide and chase him out of the garage? 4.) can they gnaw through metal pipes? I still don't know where he is getting his water source? 5.) any other ideas/suggestions? Borrow my neighbors cat? Thanks for your help.
My response: That's very strange. If a rat wants to get out, it can get out. Why not leave the garage door open for a few minutes? How do you know it's still there?
Don't know if he wants to get out now that he has a warm place to live. I still see his poop and pee that he leaves every night. I actually saw him face to face as I was surveying the damage he is doing to stuff inside my garage. I am contemplating on trying to "flush" him out by moving all my boxes out so he has nowhere to hide. What do think about that option? Or should I just buy more snap traps? Or borrow a cat?
I guess you could try to borrow a cat, but that doesn't always work. Sounds like your current snap traps aren't working. Maybe a live cage trap?
Charlotte Rat Control Tip of The Week
Dealing With A Rat Infestation In Your Attic
Black Rats are small rodents that are common in almost all areas across the United States, and because of their smaller size they are considered to be less of a threat and a pest than Norway rats, their larger cousins. However, rats also carry a range of different diseases and can also pose a health risk to you and your family, so if you do find an infestation, it is worth dealing with is promptly. Rats are also good climbers, so finding them nesting in your attic is not uncommon.
Identifying That You Are Dealing With Rats Rather Than Other Pest Animal Species
The first step to dealing with an infestation is to ensure you are dealing with rats, as the sounds of scratching from the attic can sometimes be other animals such as rats, squirrels or even raccoons. The best way of identifying that it is rats you are dealing with is to check on any rat feces that you can find. These small pellets of poop should be significantly smaller than rat droppings, and will be around the size of a small grain of rice, and is black when fresh, turning brown and then grey after some time.
Precautions Before Carrying Out Rat Control Work
Going into a confined space where pest animals are present can be dangerous as there are often diseases that can be transmitted by rats. Wearing long sleeved clothing and gloves will help protect you from any nips from animals and also prevent direct contact with feces of urine. Another smart precaution is also to wear goggles and a breathing mask, as some diseases transmitted by rats can become airborne, and can then prove to be a dangerous problem if those airborne particles are then inhaled.
Laying Traps To Catch Rats
By far the most common and affordable way of dealing with a rat infestation in the attic is to lay traps to catch the little animals. The standard snap traps on a wooden base are cheap to buy and just as effective as more expensive options, and can be re-used, which is particularly useful if you have a larger rat infestation to deal with. When laying traps in the attic, make sure to lay them near the areas where you see the greatest buildup of rat feces, and also near any entry points they may be using to get in and out.
Removing Carcasses And Monitoring The Rat Problem
Once you have laid the traps, the next step is to monitor all of the traps over the next few days, to see how effective the traps are at dealing with the problem. With any rat carcass, you can simply bag it and place it in the garbage, or it can also be incinerated as well if you have the facility. Keep re-setting the traps and continue to monitor until you are no longer seeing any signs of rat activity and you are no longer catching any rats in your traps.
Repairs Required After A Rat Infestation
The key step to take after catching and dealing with all of the rats is to seal the attic, as they will often have several entry points to help them get in and out of the area. These should all be sealed using metal flashing or a suitable filler to prevent other rats from being able to get back into the area again. You should also try to remove any feces that you can, and if insulation is heavily soiled then that should also be replaced. One wise precaution is also to fumigate the attic after your repairs, to kill off any remaining bacteria or other particles that could be harmful to anyone going into the attic in the future.
