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
Why Do Pest Control Companies Do A Bad Job With Poisons When It Comes To Removing Rats?
Aside from not being able to get all the rats, there are many reasons why we don't feel satisfied when a pest control company uses poison in removing rats. At times, things end up worse than they were, with other issues coming up. Using poison on rats brings about more jobs for you as a homeowner.
Think of the poisoned rats that die in the open - what happened to them? The poisons used by pest control companies lead to massive internal bleeding. The affected rodents often end up bleeding out and dying anywhere the poison takes full effect. Imagine getting rid of the rat, and later having to deal with a bloody rat lying on your kitchen counter or your carpet?
This makes you feel like the pest control company has done an incomplete job. You will be forced to put on your gloves, grab a collection tool, and a plastic bag to collect the dead rats.
Aside from that, there might be some blood splotches to clean up. This needs to be done properly, as they pose a health risk to the household. After going through all this, you are faced with the problem of how to safely get rid of the bag - having a dead and decaying rat in your dumpster may bring other kinds of pests. You end the rat infestation with poison only to start a different problem with different pests.
Aside from the stress that comes with cleaning up after a dead rat, what happens if the rat does not eat the pest control company's poison? They can't force the rats to eat it.
When the rats do not eat these poisons, it can harm anything else that comes in contact with it including, children, pets, and other wildlife creatures.
Using rat poison as a method to remove rats leaves you wondering, is such a precarious pest control method worth it?
