Marion County, Indianapolis Rat Control Situation:
Hello David, I have been reading the information that you have on line about squirrels in the attic. We have something in our attic and cannot figure out what it is, nor have we been able to trap it, nor has it been caught in a rat trap. I hear this creature or creatures ??? during the day, as well as at night. There does not seem to be a particular favorite time that they move around. Perhaps the morning is very quiet, and there is more activity in the afternoon and evening. My bedroom is quite a distance from the area that we hear this creature in, so I would not hear it at night even if it is moving around a lot at night.
I mostly have heard scratching in the walls, and at one point did hear a big thud. The odd thing about this creature is this. We set a live trap with peanut butter in it, and what ever it is carried large pieces of insulation inside the trap to cover the peanut butter. Like really large- maybe a 6 X 6 inch piece. We feel the trap was not set properly because it did not shut. Next day we put meat in it, thinking it may be an animal that would want meat like an opossum. All this time our rat traps have remained in place but this creature DAILY overs all the traps with insulation....without getting caught. We have not seen anything enter or leave. We found one area that is gapping between he house and fascia but only maybe a 3" opening. We do know for sure that there is enter way at the garage floor. We will put foam insulation in those areas this weekend to hopefully stop rats or whatever it is up there from entering and will continue our trapping efforts. We live north of Indianapolis IN in the country on one acre. Our house is 7 years old; made of brick.
By my description, do you have any idea what we might be dealing with, and any suggestions on how to catch this creature? I appreciate all the info your web site; I just cant find anything that remotely sounds like what we have going on with this creature attempting to bury the traps with insulation. Many thanks for any advice. Jill
Why don't you have a wildlife expert inspect the house and attic in order to determine what the animal is? It could be raccoons or opossums, not necessarily rats. The feces and tracks in the attic, and the nature of the entry holes should tell you what animal you're dealing with.
Indianapolis Rat Control Tip of The Week
Using Exclusion Funnels To Get Rid Of Rats Without Killing Them
Rats are probably the second most common species of rodent to be found in our towns and cities after rats, and like their larger relations, they can also often find their way into many different areas of the domestic property. Because rats can carry diseases, and can also transmit them by soiling food and water sources, it is natural to want to get rid of them as soon as possible. Exclusion funnels are one approach that can be used to try and get rid of rats from your home.
How Do The Exclusion Funnels Work?
Ultimately, the funnels are designed so that the rats can easily get in through the wide end of the funnel, and can then push themselves out of the narrow end of the funnel when they are leaving a particular area of your property. However, when they try to get back in the narrow end of the funnel the entrance is too small and cannot be prized open, meaning the rats are not able to get back into the area where they are causing the problem. The key aspect with exclusion funnels is that the rats really do need to be contained in one area of the home.
Preparation Work To Install Your Exclusion Funnels
The first step before you install any exclusion funnels in your property is to carry out a detailed search of where they are active, and then to identify all of the holes the rats are using to get in and out of that area. The reason for this is that you need to be able to deal with each entry point the rats may use so that when you install the funnels, they cannot simply come back in through another entry point. While carrying out this work, it is usually a wise precaution to wear long sleeved clothing and gloves, along with a breathing mask and goggles to protect yourself from any disease transmission.
Where To Place Your Exclusion Funnels
It is usually best to only place one or two exclusion funnels, and then seal the remaining access points that you can find in the area where the rats are nesting. When choosing which entry points to install your exclusion funnels, the best options are usually those that have the heaviest traffic, and should be indicated by a greater buildup of rat droppings and urine stains.
Monitoring The Rat Activity In Your Home
Once you have installed the exclusion funnels, the next step is to monitor the area to see how effective the funnels have been. In some cases, this part of the work can actually prove to be quite trial and error, as the rats will often have other secret entry points that you may not have found on your first search of the area. In this instance you will then have to search the area again, and try and find the other access point the rats are using to get in and out.
The Challenges Of Using Exclusion Funnels To Deal With Rats
One of the key benefits of using exclusion funnels to deal with rats is that it doesn?t kill the animals so you don?t have to dispose of any carcasses. However, this also means that the rats can try and find other ways to get into your home, which means it can take longer to deal with them than if you were to use lethal means to deal with a rat infestation. The other issue with using exclusion funnels for such small animals is that because of their size, it is very difficult and detailed work to actually find all of the holes they are using to get in and out.