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 Scare A Rat Away From My Property?
Scaring off rats from your property can seem like a simple task, but you must not forget that these rodents can completely take over a territory they feel safe in; wherever they can get food and shelter, they will stay.
If you want to scare away all rats, you must fix the problem from its roots. This means making a complete inspection to evaluate which are the potential hiding places for them and how many rats there could be on your property. Once you have answers to these questions, you can pick the method that suits your situation the best.
How To Avoid The Presence Of Rats On Your Property?
While there are many reasons why a rat may decide to enter your home, the most common cause of this may be a lack of hygiene; not regularly doing deep cleaning in potentially exposed areas. Another reason these rodents may be attracted to your property is the presence of accumulated garbage or improper food packaging.
Natural Solutions To Keep Rats Away
There are many ways to scare rats away. You can use classic methods, placing rat traps and poison at specific points on your property, or hiring a pest extermination agency. Another option, -and the healthiest one for both the rats and your family-, is based on using natural remedies to scare off rodents.- Mint: It has a strong smell, ideal for scaring away rats. You can simply make a mint tea and use it to aromatize different areas of your house, specifically access points to the property.
- Hot Sauce: Spreading hot sauce in some areas of your home could also keep rats away. However, you should be careful where you apply it in case you have pets or small children.
- Onion: Placing containers filled with onion pieces in areas of your property can also be a good way to repel rats.
The rats' incredible sense of smell can be your best chance to scare them away from your property. Regardless of the option you choose, it is essential to maintain proper hygiene in every space in your home.
