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
Is Trapping Rats Legal?
When it comes to trapping rats, there has been a misconception for quite some time as many house owners think it is illegal. This is nothing but a myth, so if you are planning to get a trap to remove the rats in your home, you are legally allowed to do so.
Rats are one of the most destructive household pests. Being carriers of diseases and different types of disease-causing organisms, they contaminate the surface of your home and any of your food substances that they come in contact with. Also, these pests bring in highly inflammable materials into your home and rip off electrical cables that are capable of igniting a fire. All these clearly show how dangerous they are to you and your property and why you need to get rid of them as early as you can.
Apart from the need to get rid of this major household pest, the use of traps is the fastest and the best way to get rid of rats. Although, the use of glue traps has been labeled by PETA and The Humane Society as an inhumane way of trapping rats. With the exception of the inhumane aspect of glue traps, the use of traps is completely legal.
So if you are thinking of removing the rats in your home, you can go ahead and use a trap.