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 Surfaces Are Rats Able To Climb?
Discovering rodents on your rooftop or in your attic may surprise you. These are places that are, to some degree, difficult to reach and require some uncommon climbing capacity. For rodents, however, that isn't that difficult to manage. Rats are astonishing climbers. They can climb anything. If there is something to hold on to, they can climb it. To get to food and water and their home, they will climb anything. From trees to blocks to stone, they will climb it. This implies they can get into pretty much anything. It doesn't make a difference if it is an opening at base level or in the rooftop, they can get to it.
Extraordinary Climbers
Most rodents are good climbers. Squirrels, mice, rats, and other rodents can climb pretty much anything. It is of nothing unexpected to individuals who see them frequently; however, the degree of their climbing capacity despite everything is surprising to a few. Climbing trees, plants, and anything with a good foothold is no problem. They can snatch on and climb any of that to get to where they need to go. A lot of people expect this as they see it often in rodents like squirrels.
What It Means For You
It is impressive, however, it tends to be a real torment for homeowners. Since rodents are astounding climbers, they can get into any place. If there is an opening anyplace in your home, rodents can arrive at it. They get into these openings and make their homes in a matter of moments, causing chaos. This is why extra care is required when it comes to sealing any potential holes. Since rodents can fit through even tiny spaces, you want to limit their options.
