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
How Can I Get Rid Of Rats Outside My House?
Having rats outside your house disturbing your peace is indeed a big deal. Apart from being a nuisance outside your house by creating burrows in your yard or lawn, it's just a matter of time before they find their way into your home. This simply means getting rid of the rats outside your house is as important as getting rid of those in your house.
Have you been looking for the best way to do this in order to keep your environment free from rats? Right here, we will be taking you through some of the most effective and humane ways to get rid of the rats outside your house.
1. Traps
The use of traps in getting rid of rats is a method many people are quite familiar with. To use this method, all you have to do is to buy a trap from a store, bait it, and set them around the places where the rats frequent the most. Before setting this trap, make sure your pets are locked up in a compartment or restricted from moving around your yard to avoid injuring your pets instead of the rats.
2. Smoke Bombs
If the rats have successfully created numerous burrows around your house, using smoke bombs is the best way to get rid of them. To use this particular removal method, all you have to do is release the smoke bombs into all of their burrows. It is very effective, but you need to avoid using it on burrows that are close to trees and other flammable structures in order to avoid fire hazards.
3. Use Dry Ice
This particular removal method is the best option if you are in an urban area. Dry ice is a solid that releases carbon dioxide when dropped into the burrows of rats. When the dry ice is released, the carbon dioxide anesthetizes the rats and kills them. This particular method is very quick and humane.