Guilford County, Greensboro Rat Control Situation:
I am having a problem with Nordic Rats in my chicken coop. Over the last year, I have caught 7 skunks (live trap), 1 possum (live trap), 10 rats (1 in live trap, and 9 in rat traps), 4 robins and one chicken (my own dumb animal). The rats are getting into the coop and eating the chicken food. So at night I cover the food box and turn on the night camera. A photo of last nights problem and a previous one are attached. I have many photos of them, even sequential ones of them digging a tunnel into the coop. What you see in the photo are two sticky pads (total 11" wide) with him (12" body) in front of the hole he made into the chicken coop at the corner. I have put gopher gassers in the holes twice, but unsure how successful I have been. They have dug tunnels all around and under the completely wired coop. They even have chewed through the wire. I have concreted in many of the tunnels, but they dig around them. I set 9 rat traps at night, with apple and peanut butter. Usually they ignore them for the first night or two, then they all get set off, sometimes I get lucky and get one, but usually, they are just sprung. The apple is tied on and the peanut butter is under the flapper. I am almost at my wits end on how to eliminate them. I have tried one exterminator and told him to pack it up after a month of absolutely nothing. They filled his traps with soil from their excavation. They have even filled my live trap with soil during their excavation. So I am looking for someone that is ready to meet the challenge and help me solve the problem.
Greensboro Rat Control Tip of The Week
Why Are Mothballs And Ammonia Ineffective At Repelling Rats?
When it comes to repelling rats, the use of mothballs and ammonia are quite common, as many people consider using them to help keep rats away from their home. Despite how common these repellents are, their effectiveness is still questioned.
Mothballs and ammonia emit a strong smell that is believed to help repel rats by making them feel irritated, with the hope that the effects of the smell will make them lose interest in staying in a particular place and keep them away. The fact is, this might seem effective at the onset. But within a short time, these repellents lose their effectiveness and will no longer be able to repel rats.
Rats are covetous. When they see a need to stay around your home because there is abundant availability of food, they will ignore the effects of these repellents and continue with their activities. This simply means that if you choose to buy either mothballs or ammonia to repel the rats in your home, provided they see a greater need to stay, you will only be wasting your time because neither of the two repellents will help you in making your home rat-free.
Instead of using any of these repellents to help keep rats away from your home, you can focus more on making your home rat-proof. To do this, all you have to do is fix all the cracks and holes in your house which could serve as an entry point, get a very agile cat to help hunt them, and also keep your house and surroundings clean by removing trash. These are better ways to repel rats when compared with the use of mothballs and ammonia.