Madison County, Huntsville Rat Control Situation:
Hi David, I found your website online -- very informative for removing rats and squirrels from attics. My problem is the animal(s), which I'm guessing are rats or mice because they only scratch at night, is in the ceiling, but there is no attic or crawl space. The structure is a two story condo and the scratching sound is in the same location for the past 2 - 3 nights: in the ceiling of the small landing between the two upstairs bedrooms. There is a recessed light in that ceiling, and removing the light cover does provide a small access into the ceiling. The actual hole is about 6 - 7" wide, but there is an old-style light can in the hole, which only has a few small openings in it. Last year prior to painting the ceiling we removed the light cover and down came some animal droppings. Even though we weren't hearing any animal noises at that time, we set two Victor mouse traps which we were able to fit inside the small openings. We didn't catch anything so eventually, we just put the light cover back on. Now, there is very active scratching in the ceiling a few inches from the light so there is definately something alive in there. If it's a mouse, we can probably set a trap like we did before and I believe there is enough of an opening to remove the trap with a mouse in it. If it's a larger critter like a rat, we may or may not be able to set the larger trap and/or remove the trap with the dead animal because the opening may be too small. Even if we are successful at trapping and removing the animal, there is little access to remove the droppings or see if they've done any damage in there. Any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Nicole in Huntsville AL
Between floors is hard. If you can get a trap inside, great. You still need to Inspect the house and find out how the rodents are getting inside and seal up every single last entry/exit hole and gap with steel.
Huntsville Rat Control Tip of The Week
Best Ways To Keep Rats Out Of Your Garden
Controlling rats is the initial step in the right path, but it is not a long-term solution. Spying on rats in your home or property will increase your awareness, and there will be a need for a lot of effort focused on getting rid of them. This can reduce the population to a point, but if efforts are sustained for months and months, it will create a cyclical pattern. Once people or homeowners see fewer rats, they reduce rat-proofing efforts, then the population grows, and the problem starts again.
Tips For Handling Rats In The Garden:- Don't leave uneaten pet food outside. Keep pet food stored in plastic containers.
- Store food indoors properly, in containers, if possible. Don't leave food unattended on counters.
- The dense brush that provides shelter should be removed.
- Keep the birdseed off the ground with the help of baffles. Bird feeders should be hung away from eaves or fences that provide easy access for rats.
- Make use of a closed, contained, and secured compost process. At the very least, make sure the food scraps are out of open compost piles.
- Clean up the fruit that falls to the ground.
- Repair gaps greater than 1/4 inch around doors, windows, crawl spaces, screens, attic vents, and anywhere else holes may provide access to inside your home.
- Keep garbage in a secured plastic container with a lid.
