Wyandotte County, Kansas City Rat Control Situation:
I pray that you receive my email. My house in Kansas City was infested with roof rats this year while my Daughter and four year old grandson were living in the house. I was living in the back guest room. They were continuously ill with flu symptoms and moved out. We had hired Tru Pest Control to help with the rats with no avail. Finally after they moved out the rats disappeared. However as my husband and I removed some built in cabinets in the family room, we uncovered two rat holes, nests, lots of feces. We disposed of the cabinets and haven't done anything else since. We are still living in the guest room in the back of the house. We do not have any rats. The house was built in 1940. The main house which was infested with rats has original wood floors and the entire front house has a crawl space. The guest room was originally a garage so it sits on the ground and has a cement floor. I am 58 yrs old, my husband is 59 yrs old and has been disabled since 1992. He has had his aortic and mitral heart valves replaced with mechanical valves and has a pacemaker. The BIG question is, will the house ever be safe for us to live in again? The decontamination sounds brutal and I am very sensitive to chemicals. We will never own the home free and clear in our lifetime. Should we even attempt to fix it up to live in or move??
Kansas City Rat Control Tip of The Week
How Deep Do Rats Dig Holes Or Burrow Under Houses?
Asides from being a very smart animal with a high sense of adaptability, rats are keen diggers. With their dexterous paws and strong teeth, they can chew through plastic, wood, and even aluminum. This clearly shows how much of a good digger these rodents are. Also, if you have holes around your house, these rodents might be responsible for creating them.
Maybe you have rats digging holes or burrows under your house and you have always wanted to know how deep these holes are. The fact is these excellent diggers can dig holes as long as 3 feet and as deep as 18 inches. This digging skill allows them to create deep burrows and holes under your home
Due to their smart nature, rats don't just dig burrows and holes blindly. They dig with plans and prepare for the worst-case scenario by creating one or two exit points apart from the entry hole, in case they are attacked by a predator. Therefore, if you see a rat hole or burrow around your house, you must look around to find its exit hole. Unlike the entry hole which is usually clean and free from dirt, rats usually use thatches of grass to conceal their exit holes. This simply means you have to look around carefully to find it.
While examining these holes and burrows, you need to be very careful and avoid moving too close to it. Snakes or any other harmful animal could also be inhibiting the hole. If you have to dig in the hole or make close contact, make sure you are well protected.