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
Symptoms Of A Sick Rat
In most cases, a sick rat will not show any obvious symptoms at the early stage of an illness. But if the rat in question is a domesticated rat, you might notice some physical changes in the rat if you are very observant. Here are some of the common symptoms that you might notice in a sick rat:- Restlessness and irregular breathing
- Eye and nasal discharge and continuous sneezing
- Rapid reduction in body weight
- Body exhaustion and excessive sleeping
- Lack of appetite and crouching behavior
If you notice any of these in a rat, it is an indication that the rat is sick and it needs urgent medical attention. After noticing any of these symptoms, the first thing you need to do is to avoid any form of contact with the rat. Rats are carriers of diseases, so it is best to avoid touching it.
Although, not every sickness of a rat is a result of viral, bacterial, or parasitic infection. Their sickness could also be as a result of physical injuries such as a sprained bone, a broken tail or toenails, or a bite wound from another rat or animal.
Just like other animals, rats are also affected by diseases. If you wish to keep the rat alive, the best thing you can do is to seek medical attention. Rats are very sensitive animals and will not do well when administered the wrong medication. Having shared this, you need to avoid the use of medication that is not prescribed by a veterinary doctor.
