Hartford County, Hartford Rat Control Situation:
Hi David, We are very impressed with your website! Sadly, we found it after spending hundreds of dollars with a local exterminator/pest control company. Naturally, we still have a rat problem... We would like to attempt to eradicate and/or handle our "little problem" ourselves (we are pretty handy...) and in this economy we need to conserve where we can (especially after we spent money on the worthless "experts"!) My first question for you is... how do you make a one-way door for rats? We roof rats in our attic. The openings to outside have all been closed up, but we would like to be able to leave the animals a way out... just not a way IN. We liked the photographs on your website of the mesh funnel and the tower-looking one-way door, but we can't figure out how to make them. Do you have specifications or design plans for those two items? We would really appreciate it! My second question is... the product that you use to fog/disinfect after clean-up... does it have to be a fog or can it be a spray? If we fog the attic, how long do the people and the house pets have to be out of the house? My third question is... is an N-95 mask sufficient protection when working in the attic? Thank you, David! Sincerely, Carrie
My response: To make a one-way door, roll steel mesh into a funnel a foot long, with an opening the size of a quarter on the exit end. I wear a Tyvek suit, latex cloves, a HEPA respirator mask, and I remove the feces by hand, plus the soiled insulation, and bag it in plastic bags. I then fog the attic with a special cleaner called Bac-Azap, which helps decontaminate. You can try this yourself at your own risk, or hire a local company in your area off of my professionals directory.
Hartford Rat Control Tip of The Week
What Is The Largest Size A Rat Can Get To Be?
With an average lifespan of about 2 - 3 years, some species of rats can grow as large as 4 pounds. But on average, almost all rats are bigger than mice. Also, the size of a rat fairly depends on the specie and the sex of the rat. Male rats usually are larger than females. They have a longer body frame with tails as long as their body and can grow as big as 2 lbs.
Domesticated rats usually do better when it comes to size mainly because they are provided with all they need to grow properly and healthily. For pet rats, an adult rat can grow to a length of 9 to 11 inches with a tail length of 7 to 9 inches. If properly managed, some large species of rats can even grow as long as 20 inches. It all depends on how well the rats are being managed and taken care of.
One of the most fascinating thing about rats is that having a large body size doesn't mean they won't be able to pass through small openings and enter into your home. Rats can compress their body in order to be able to pass through small openings. Provided the opening is wide enough to allow the easy passage of its head, it will pass through. Therefore, you shouldn't consider the fact that the rats in your neighborhood are too big to gain access to your home through small openings. Instead, you need to seal all small openings up as soon as possible to avoid a rat infestation.
When it comes to rats with large sizes, the Bosavi woolly rat is one of a kind. This specie of rat can weigh up to 3.5 lbs. and grow as long as 32 inches. Although, this particular specie of rat can only be found in volcanic caves.