Kalamazoo County, Kalamazoo Rat Control Situation:
Hi David, I came across your website and found it extremely informative. We are in the process of home inspections on a house we want to buy. It is in a great neighborhood at a fair price. The homeowner died recently so there is no one with any knowledge of the home's current condition and history. Yesterday we had the general home inspection and found piles of rat droppings underneath kitchen drawers and under the kitchen sink, dead rats and piles of droppings (I mean tons!) under the house, a two-foot pile of attic insulaton under the house where the rats were carrying it out of the attic via inside the bathroom wall, and depositing it down there. When the inspector opened the attic crawl space door, piles of droppings fell out. The house has a faint bad odor. There are entry holes all over the house. We will be bringing in a rodent expert for an estimate. My question to you is, when is this too much to clean up and disinfect? We have two young children 5y and 7y, and I worry about the residual health impact of the droppings and urine. Can we ever live in this house and not worry about our health? Also, will the clean up cost add thousands of dollars to our home cost? Thank you! I am looking forward to hearing from you! Sincerely, Heidi
Kalamazoo Rat Control Tip of The Week
Black Rat Biology
The black rat (Rates Rattus) has likewise been known as a ship rat, rooftop rat, and old English rat, among other names. It is a long-tailed rodent that is native to Asia. However, it is found in practically all parts of the world today. Black rats prefer hotter zones, however, are profoundly versatile, and will look for cover in natural (woods) and unnatural (homes and structures) areas. It is bigger and more aggressive than its brown-colored cousin, but is more vulnerable to cold and has a more constrained diet. Black rats are generally omnivores. They are a genuine threat to ranchers since they will eat a wide scope of farming harvests, seeds, and feed. A large population of black rats can decimate a field of crops, or contaminate a barn full of feed and hay.
A common black rat is 5.02-7.19 in long, including its tail, and weights 4.12 oz. when fully grown. Notwithstanding its name, the black rat is normally not black. Its coat is typically extremely dark brown. In the wild, black rats want to settle in burrows made using the ground litter (leaves, twigs, etc.) found on timberland floors. In urban settings, they like attics and upper floors of structures, making homes from discovered litter, destroyed paper, and insulation.
They are also tasty meals for coyotes, wild dogs, and other predator winged animals. These obtrusive pests are difficult to dispose of once they move in. Talk with your neighborhood experts on approaches to shield your home from being overrun. Keeping your yard free of clutter, yard debris, standing water, and trash will deter them. You should keep all garbage in fixed holders, and pick up outside pet food and feed. Routinely check your home and building for cracks and openings that would give black rats a path to your home. Black rats are keener on living in their normal habitat than in your home; however, they will consistently exploit food, water, and safe shelter.
