Union County, Elizabeth Rat Control Situation:
Hi David....I just read your article on mice removal and am having an infestation problem in my attic. I have had several pest control companies over to my house and none of them have been able to solve my problem. The first company I had contracted was called Mack pest control and they threw a bunch of bait pouches around the attic and set traps for " Flying squirrels" which there were no flying squirrels and then eventually gave up. The next company I hired was a company called Apex Pest and Termite, again they failed to find the entrance points and eventually gave up as well. The current company I have is Orkin and they have not been able to pinpoint where the mice are getting in either. In fact the latest technician put down (4) glue boards in the attic and a block of the green poison bars in the center of each glue board lol. I am definitely not an expert in rodent control...but I highly doubt that is the proper method. This has been an ongoing problem now for 3 years, I have a 3,000 sq.ft. vinyl siding house with a pretty huge attic so the possible entry points could be anywhere, I would greatly appreciate any help you could give me on this matter, such as what company I could hire or an effective do-it-yourself strategy. Thank you for your time and hope to hear from you soon.
Elizabeth Rat Control Tip of The Week
Are Rats Able to Enter a Property Through the Plumbing?
Rats are able to swim:
Rats are surprisingly flexible and they have some excellent swimming abilities. Even if they have to make their way in through your pipes, it won't take long for them to make their way into your home if they are located under it in the groundwater. A rat is a perfect size to get through most water pipes or sewage pipes and this can mean easy access into your home.
There are dry spots throughout your plumbing:
Depending on the way your plumbing bends, it is likely that there could be some dry spots within your plumbing or within the inner workings of your home. Rats may enter into your plumbing and may even build nests throughout these dryer areas.
Rats can damage your plumbing:
As well as being able to scurry through your plumbing, rats could potentially damage your plumbing or even clog up your pipes. If there is a major rat problem or a nest nearby, you could be risking the chance that you could damage your neighbor's pipes or have an ongoing rat problem in your own home.
Rats easily enter in through broken lines:
If there are areas of your plumbing that have fallen into disrepair, make sure that they can be properly fixed up. Broken sewer lines or tree roots in your plumbing can often be the perfect place for many rats to make their way into your property.
Check grates and drain covers:
Installing mesh or making sure that you have a proper cover for your drain covers can be important to keeping rats from invading your space. Regularly looking at all of your drains and making sure that a rat can't make their way inside can be very important.
Close your toilet lid:
Closing a toilet lid could be a simple practice you could use that can stop rats from entering your home.