Wayne County, Detroit Rat Control Situation:
Please can you offer me some free practical advice to eradicate rats from my roof space, I am English but now reside in Brazil. Here in Brazil there are no such associations, councils to exterminate vermin, the only choice is either to employ local labour and hope he is being truthful about his qualifications, quality of workmanship, formal training etc. or to do the job properly do it yourself. For several months I have heard pattering of tiny feet in my roof space, the roof space being the area between the bottom of the tiled roof (pantile type tiles) and the top of the plastic false ceiling with only about 4 inches, 100mm in between so snap traps are not practical, I live in the apartment directly below the area contaminated and have not seen any rat droppings in the apartment, the area is approx 9 meters x 15 meters =126 square meters , 29ft x 49ft = 1421 square feet. The apartment is a first floor level approx 4 meters= 13 feet from ground level with no adjoining buildings. Am I correct in assuming that the rats enter up through 4 inch, 100mm plastic rain down pipe from the roof guttering? or up through the toilet sewage system through the u bend in the bowl and then climb a wall to enter the roof space, or do the rats scale the outside 12 meter = 39 feet wall and enter the roof eves. I am considering to remove all the plastic false ceiling to gain access to the infested locations but am concerned firstly that if I disturb the rats they will disperse and then return the same way they originally entered the area, secondly, if l remove the false ceiling will l be the unlucky victim to receive their bite, what do you suggest I do? Poison the visitors first? then if quiet after a week or two remove the ceiling and completely sterilise? (with what can you recommend). I am not concerned with the humane topic of eradicating my guests, they pay no rent. (KK KK ). Also it is my intention to fully enclose the rafters and eaves on the outside with either aluminium or galvanised steel mesh. If you can take time out to advise me, I will be very grateful. For your information a cross section sketch of my roof is enclosed to help you understand the constructional theme of my roof. Would it be practical to remove the plastic ceiling room by room, first destroying the nests if any, then sanitising ,sealing all access points of entry, then to move to the next room etc.? I would really appreciate any advice you would furnish, unfortunately I can not afford to pay your expenses etc. for you to submit a quotation, I can offer you though if you ever visit Brazil a nice glass of cold Chopps (Brazilian draught beer). Fondest regards and in anticipation of a reply many thanks.
My response: Yes, your plan to seal off the roof with galvanized steel mesh should work. But you have to seal 100percent of the openings. Then, trap, properly trap on rat runways, ALL the rats, and remove them from the house.
Detroit Rat Control Tip of The Week
How To Identify Rat Feces And Where Is It Found?
Dark Brown In Color:
You can recognize the look of rat droppings for their dark brown color. Unlike other animals that have darker feces, rats have a darker brown that does not border upon black.
The Shape:
The shape is often spindle and tapered to be less conspicuous. Most rats have a spindle shape for their feces and the pieces will be no larger than a grain of rice.
The Volume:
Each rat can produce up to 40 droppings in a single evening and this can mean that you are likely to find a series of piles across your home especially if you are facing a larger rat population. As you continue to identify the look of rat feces across your home, you are going to notice piles and likely find rats nearby.
Keep An Eye Out For Rub Marks:
Rub marks are another common sign that you have rats in your home. Rats naturally have grease or dirt on their body and because of their poor eyesight they often leave a series of smudges across your home. The darker marks show areas where the rats are regularly moving throughout your home and potentially entering into areas like the walls. If you started to notice various areas where there could be marks and feces, this offers an excellent chance that you could have a rat inside your home.
Be Careful While Cleaning:
Rats carry a series of diseases and it's very important that you are able to clean up any feces that you find to prevent the chance that a family pet will get into it or that you could be exposed to potential diseases.
