Harris County, Houston Rat Control Situation:
Dear Pest Control Agency, My name is Juan and I am working on my doctoral dissertation in Biology at Rice University, Houston, Texas. I have an undergraduate researcher who helps me with my research, and we both work in the laboratory of Prof. Michael. We have studied rats and mice in Europe, and we use the information to study a number of questions, including how rodent populations are connected between continents or within countries. One part of our work deals with the question of whether rats and mice in the US have developed resistance to rodent poisons, about which little is known. Our hope is that during pest control you will be able to obtain the tail tips (about 1 inch) of rats and mice that can be found at rodent infested sites. These could be collected from dead animals, and of course, we would send you everything you would need (scissors, tubes, gloves, prepaid shipping, etc.). If you decide to help us in our research, we would like to offer you a Domino's giftcard as a thank you for your efforts! We have received a large amount of support from a few pest control agencies so far. It would be wonderful if you would also consider helping us! Attached is a simple spreadsheet where a few details on the sampling are described. We do not need any specific information regarding locations where sampling was done, and no names of owners or of employees, etc. are needed. However, if you would like we would be more than happy to promote your company name in our research paper! Please feel free to contact us by email or phone if you have any other questions or concerns. Thank you so much for your consideration, and I hope to hear from you soon! Sincerely, Juan
Houston Rat Control Tip of The Week
What Attracts Rats To Your Property?
Being a homeowner, you definitely don't want rats to infest your home and make it their nesting place. If you are concerned about this, you need to know certain things that can attract rats to your property and do all you can to keep those things away from your property.
In order to help you prevent a rat infestation, right here we will be sharing all the things that are capable of attracting rats to your property. By knowing these, you will be able to keep your property safe from rats.
1. Food Substances
Unlike other household pests, rats are not picky eaters. They tend to eat all kinds of food, provided they are placed where they can easily access them. The moment a single rat gets to know that your house has an abundant supply of food, it will invite others and your property will soon become a nesting place for rats. To avoid this, the best thing you can do is store your food properly and dispose of leftovers when you no longer have plans to eat them.
2. Pet Waste And Trash
Just as mentioned earlier, rats will feed on anything they have access to and this includes your pet's food. When you have pet food around at all times, rats will find their way into your home.
This also applies to having trash around your property. When rats want to hunt for food, the first place they visit is trash cans because they feel that your leftovers might be disposed of there. The longer you keep trash in and around your property, the more likely rats will be attracted to your property.
3. Dripping Pipes
Rats are thirsty animals and are always in search of clean water to drink. If you have dripping pipes or sprinklers around your home, this will tend to attract rats to your property.