Ingham County, Lansing Rat Control Situation:
I was reading your site and I am trying to find a good way to keep the pack Rats out of the engine compartment of my car. I live in the Southern part of Lansing MI and it is mostly forest. I have a carport so it is open. I have to clean out a nest in my car about every two months because of a nest. I have used the traps in the common areas and have caught about 50 rats during the summer. My question to you after reading your article is the best way for me to take care of this is put a trap under the car, I have a live trap along one wall as well as one of the Victor traps. Hope you can help.
Morning David, Am I glad to check your website!! I have a rat problem in our house. These are not just rats, theyr intellects !! Trust me !! They first started with the kitchen lower cupboard, we cleared all food items from there and now they cruise around in the living room. We have set traps, blocked all holes that may be a source of entrance, we even used poison.. one night, we set the poison under the cupboard in one of the bed rooms as my husband saw a mouse run under it. In the morning both the poison tablets were away from the cupboard as if they were trying to say" Thanks but no thanks!!" They eat away the peanut butter from traps and still survive.. I'm really sick of them and the smell is even worse... using rat exterminators is expensive and we are trying to get rid of them ourselves.. the traps we have used are the old fashioned wooden traps, those plastic type boxes, and a few other similar ones, Poison as well.. nothing works.. Need your advice ASAP
Lansing Rat Control Tip of The Week
Best Ways To Keep Rats Out Of Your Garden
Controlling rats is the initial step in the right path, but it is not a long-term solution. Spying on rats in your home or property will increase your awareness, and there will be a need for a lot of effort focused on getting rid of them. This can reduce the population to a point, but if efforts are sustained for months and months, it will create a cyclical pattern. Once people or homeowners see fewer rats, they reduce rat-proofing efforts, then the population grows, and the problem starts again.
Tips For Handling Rats In The Garden:- Don't leave uneaten pet food outside. Keep pet food stored in plastic containers.
- Store food indoors properly, in containers, if possible. Don't leave food unattended on counters.
- The dense brush that provides shelter should be removed.
- Keep the birdseed off the ground with the help of baffles. Bird feeders should be hung away from eaves or fences that provide easy access for rats.
- Make use of a closed, contained, and secured compost process. At the very least, make sure the food scraps are out of open compost piles.
- Clean up the fruit that falls to the ground.
- Repair gaps greater than 1/4 inch around doors, windows, crawl spaces, screens, attic vents, and anywhere else holes may provide access to inside your home.
- Keep garbage in a secured plastic container with a lid.
