Denver County, Denver Rat Control Situation:
Wanted to first thank you for the information on your site. A couple of days ago we started to house sit for someone for a couple of weeks. We noticed some evidence of mice the first night we were here and set some traps. Within 15 minutes we caught a mouse behind the stove. We hoped that was the end of it but had our doubts. Sure enough the next morning we heard some running around below the floor boards of the attic which we were sleeping in. We had eight traps set throughout the house but for a couple of days there was no signs or catchings other than a little pitter patter in the morning under the floor boards in the attic. Well just tonight we came back from a day long excursion and sure enough we had another mouse in the trap. We had our concerns though that we may have killed the parents to an unknown number of little mice. Sure enough a few hours later we are hearing little squeeks coming from beneath the floor of the attic. We are not sure how young these little kid mice are but we are curious about what your experiences is in the responses little mice would have when their parents no longer are available to them. We figure the younger they are the more dependent they are on their parents for survival, but what does that mean? We suppose if they are very young they won't survive very long and it may be difficult to get to them before or after their demise. If they are older though, hunger may overcome them and they will start to work their way out of the safe envirenment they have been accostomed to. How long could this process take and even if they do come out would they be up to feasting on the traps? Looking forward to your response Thanks
My response: Jeez, I have no clue. There are probably several adults. The young may starve then die. They'll be so small that they won't cause an odor. You need to seal your house shut to stop the mouse problem entirely.
Denver Rat Control Tip of The Week
Why You Should Never Poison A Rat
Whenever people have a rat problem in their house, the first solution that does run through their mind is to poison the rats. Apart from being an inhumane way of getting rid of rats, the use of this method of rat removal has more disadvantages than the quick solution that it offers.
Are you also thinking of poisoning the rats in your home? If yes, you need to take a look at the following reasons why the poisoning of rats is a bad idea.
A Danger To Pets And Non-target Animals
Rats poisons are usually mixed with rat baits or food substances with a strong smell in order to help attract rats. Alongside attracting the rats in your home, this poison will also attract your pet and any other animals. When consumed, this could lead to the unfortunate death of your pets.
Apart from that, when rats are poisoned and improperly disposed of, scavengers like a hawk that feeds on dead rats can also get poisoned when they feed on a poisoned rat.
Danger To Your Home
When you poison rats, never expect them to die where you can easily find them. When rats are feeling unwell, they tend to isolate themselves in places that are hidden. As a result of this, when rats die in your home, you will have to search your house thoroughly before you can find them. And if you can't find them, you will have to cope with the horrible smell of the decomposing rat bodies.
There are even instances where homeowners have to break into the wall of their house just to remove a poisoned rat.
The indiscriminate use of rat poison can also contaminate your food when rats consume the poison and begin to feed on other things in your home as they move around.
Having shared this, you need to consider other ways of removing rats in your home to keep your environment safe.