Cuyahoga County, Cleveland Rat Control Situation:
David, Thanks for the informative site. We live on the meadow, near Cleveland, Ohio. We have rats that have done significant damage to our cars. Our house is well sealed, and have had none inside the house that we are aware of. Below the house we have about 20 traps set with peanut butter, but after 5 days, have not caught a single rat. Some traps have no bait left, a couple have been tripped, but no rats were caught. I understand poison is not a good choice. How do we stop them from damaging our cars? Interestingly, we've lived here for 9 years and never had a problem before this year, can't figure out what changed. Thanks for any advice. Best, Gerry
Hello. I have rodents in the attic/under gutter. When can I have someone come out to remove them and how much is it? Other option is trying to remove them ourselves. Were do we find a trap? We have squirrels entering our attic through the exhaust fan. Although a screen was placed over the fan about six months ago, the squirrels rendered that ineffective. What can we do?! I thought I'd let you know that the device I used worked perfectly, and the squirrels exited the attic, and so far, have not gotten back in. I'm going to give it another day or so, and seal the hole and remove the 'cage'. It was much preferable to climbing a ladder daily to release trapped rats. Mitch
Would appreciate your professional advice on: 1) removal and installation of attic insulation; a local pest control company partially removed, sanitized and installed new insulation around 6 years ago but problem persisted; we cannot get rid of bird mites or rat mites in the house; sent specimen to pest control lab who identified pest as bird mites; we've had rats in the attic as well; can removal and installation of new attic insulation solve the problem? can you recommend a company in Cleveland OH to do this? 2) gophers, who have taken over the ravine behind the house; how does one control these pests? gardener has used poison but they keep coming back & multiplying. Thanks for any assistance you may offer.
Cleveland Rat Control Tip of The Week
Will Rats Hide From People?
The survival instinct of rats leads them to be cautious animals. The fear of being eaten by other predators makes them live in dark places and avoid being seen in broad daylight. People who come in contact with a rat may have several reactions, but the most common one is panic trying to shoo it away or kill it with whatever they have on hand. This situation causes fear in rodents who will look for hiding places and avoid being seen again.
The Mystery Of Smell
Rats use their powerful sense of smell as an effective survival technique. Through odors, a rat can perceive a predator, including species that are still unknown to the animal. Surprisingly, rats flee from cats not only because they know they may be eaten, but also because cat saliva contains chemicals that cause fear when rodents detect them.
Rats Are Pests To Humans
Farmers usually farm in warm places with relative humidity. Likewise, city dwellers tend to have a busy lifestyle, so their environment can quickly lead to clutter and disorder. Both scenarios are perfect for rodents who need the shelter and food provided by a barn, a dump, a messy house, or a sewer.
Rats are quite practical and, if necessary, can adapt to living anywhere, even in a somewhat messy house. The conditions for living comfortably and reproducing are emphasized in people's homes.
Human beings can unknowingly provide rodents with everything they need to survive, turning them into a pest. Rats, being able to take advantage of everything, from rigorously stored food to napkins thrown away, are able to grow as a population. The main consequence of a growing rodent population is the damage to people's health.
