Dallas County, Dallas Rat Control Situation:
I have been dealing with a "critter" in my attic for a few months, I called a pest professional in and they told me it was a mouse. I set several traps with no success. I figured then it was a bird and eventually I did not hear any further noise. Just recently the weather finally warmed up, I was leaving for work yesterday when I heard running in my eves on my back patio. Wood was removed from the corner of my house and a rat was looking at me. I left for work thinking it would leave. I had my son in law come over and fix the missing area of wood, only to hear later that evening it never left. We removed the wood to allow thw rat to leave. So this si where I am at now. What do I do?????? Help , Nancy
Hi David, I want to thank you for your article about the squirrels in the attic. I just found out that I have them and have called a professional to try to trap them. Your article gave me a lot of information to go on when the pro gets here later today. I didn't notice the big holes in the soffit of my roof right away, but I did notice some chewed up insulation in my driveway and was wondering where the heck did that come from. Then the next morning I noticed the patter of little feet. So I am pretty sure it is rats that I am dealing with. I know one of my neighbors feed the little rascals peanuts as I have found the peanuts buried in various places in my yard. So now they have found a home which of course I am not happy about as it probably will cost a lot of time and money to get rid of the squirrels and to patch the hole in my soffitt. Anyway as I write this I noticed two small rats or mice scamper across my garage roof. Too bad the trap was not in place this morning. Thanks again for your article. Very informative. Marilyn
Dallas Rat Control Tip of The Week
Will A Rat Bite A Sleeping Baby?
Infections Rats Can Spread:
The risk of a severe infection from a rat is relatively low and if you happen to notice a wound that could be inflicted by a rat, regularly wash it and keep it dry. Some of the main concerns for infection include rat pox and rat-bite fever. The saliva from some rat species can also contain a series of serious diseases like hantavirus and leptospirosis. A bite from a rodent can also make humans more susceptible to tendinitis. Rats are also known to carry rabies so it is important to consider this as a potential threat as well.
The Appearance Of A Rat Bite:
Rat bites are usually a small and single wound that can also have multiple abrasions where the rat may have walked. It is fairly common for bleeding to occur with these types of bites. The bite will eventually lead to ongoing redness and swelling and depending on the depth of the wound, could possibly generate some pus.
Causes For Concern:
If you happen to notice a small bite, you need to consider watching for symptoms including muscle aches, vomiting, fever, rash, and joint pain. If you find that your baby is extremely fussy, this can be an issue and a cause for concern when you notice the look of a rat bite. A fever can also be an equally concerning factor if you know you have rats in the house.
Rats Will Go To Any Area They Think Has Food:
Rats don't care if your baby is sleeping, they will check out the area and look for signs of food. Making sure that you can prepare your child's room and rid it of rats can be crucial to preventing the chance a rat could infect them or bite them.