Hamilton County, Cincinnati Rat Control Situation:
Thanks for your helpful information on your website. In our situation, we have some sort of rodent(s) between the ceiling of the first floor of the house and the floorboards of the upstairs. At night, we definitely hear scurrying above us when we're in bed on the first floor. Because that space is not connected to the attic, nor is it a drop ceiling, it's impossible for us to access without cutting holes in our ceiling. We have tried to do a very thorough check around the exterior of the home, but we're not sure where they might be coming in. Thus, we have no idea where to set traps. Every time I call out our Terminix guy, he just puts out a little rat bait in a few random areas around the exterior of the house (we don't have pets or small children) and says we'll hope for the best. So far, no luck, as we still hear them almost nightly. We have absolutely no signs of rodents on the interior of the house, such as in the kitchen, so we're assuming that they must be traveling through the wall space and outside to get food. Is that a reasonable assumption? We have also checked the attic (which is above the second floor) and there's no sign of them there. Do you have any suggestions for what type of service we might be able to call who could actually help us with this problem since Terminix doesn't seem to have any answers? Thanks so much for any help you may be able to give us.
Hi David, I have a rat in my apartment!! I liv e in Cincinnati OH. I noticed the rat early last Sunday morning after Ieft a pizza box on the floor. I heard the rat trying to get in the box. First, I tried glue boards, which failed. Then I tried 2 black cat brand snap traps & the rat just ate the bait w/o tripping the trap. I am now using the Victor wooden rat trap w/ the yellow, plastic plate where the bait goes. The rat keeps licking the peanut butter off w/o tripping the trap. An exterminator came & reset the traps, but still nothing. Maintenance came & put steel wool in the two holes they found. This rat is smart & keeps eating the bait w/o tripping the trap. The exterminator said it's definitely a rat b/c of the droppings he saw, which were only by the sliding glass door to the patio. There are no signs of the rat any where else. I'm running out of patience! I'm terrified to say the least & I haven't had a restful sleep in more than 7 days. Please help! Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Cincinnati 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.
