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
What Are The Mating Habits Of The Black Rat And Norway Rat?
Black Rat
The ship rats have a polygamous mating framework, where a single male mates with various females. As a rule, the prevailing male is a successful breeder. These rats mate from March to November. The development or conception period goes on for 21 - 29 days, yielding 3 - 5 litters of 1 - 16 young (with a normal or average of 7) every year. Children of this species are brought into the world altricial. Their eyes open just at 15 days old, while hairs show up before the end of the nursing period. The young ones are weaned, and become independent at 3 - 4 months of age.
Norway Rat
Norway rats generally build homes in below-ground burrows or at ground level. Homes might be fixed with shredded paper, fabric, or different stringy materials. Litters of 6 to 12 young ones are brought into the world 21 to 23 days after conception. Baby rats are stripped, and their eyes are shut; however, they develop quickly. They can eat solid food at 2 1/2 to 3 weeks. They become independent at around 3 weeks to about a month and arrive at reproductive maturity at 3 months old, sometimes as early as 8 weeks. Female Norway Rats may come into heat every 4 or 5 days, and they may even mate a day after a litter is conceived. The average female rat has 4 to 6 litters per year and may effectively wean at least 20 offspring every year.
