Jefferson County, Louisville Rat Control Situation:
Good morning David. I came across your website and would like to ask you for some advice! I am currently dealing with mice in my ceiling/walls. They have not made it into my house itself but they are driving me nuts and will ultimately cause damage to my house at some point. I have an exterminator that comes to my house every 3 months and that has helped to prevent any mice within my home. The problem with them in my ceiling and wall began in December. I mentioned this to the exterminators and they baited my house... I guess to draw them out. It's been months now and they still are in my ceiling and getting worse... waking me up at night... I can hear them running around and squeaking... yuck. Drives me and my cat nuts to say the least... The big dilemma is that I have an old city row home... it has a flat roof and no attic or access via panel to the ceiling. The exterminators are lacking in their services... I have them coming out on Monday to get on my roof and look for holes etc... Can you provide me with some guidance on how to resolve this major issue... Can they put bait boxes on my roof to draw the mice out... or should I create an access panel to my ceiling so we can bait or set traps? HELP PLEASE! Thank you so very much!
My response: Never use bait boxes or ultrasonic sound machines. Niether help. Inspect the house and find out how the mice are getting inside. Seal up every single last entry/exit hole and gap with steel. Trap, properly trap on rat runways, ALL the mice, and remove them from the house. Clean up the attic space or home once they are all gone for good.
Thank you for responding. My main issue is how to get traps in my ceiling without an access panel? I have all finished ceilings and a flat roof... The exterminators are saying there is no way to get traps in my ceiling... I can inspect and seal all the holes and gaps but all that will do at this point it trap the mice inside my house... I dont know how we are supposed to draw them out of my ceiling and walls... They are not getting into my actual house... just ceiling and walls... Im really at a loss now.
Louisville Rat Control Tip of The Week
Why Glue Traps Are An Inhumane Option For Rats
Glue Traps Won't Kill An Animal:
A glue trap will not humanely kill an animal; the glue is not toxic in any way. A glue trap merely traps the animal in one place and ensures that over the course of several days the animals will die of dehydration, starvation, or eventually suffocation. Many animals end up removing their own skin and fur to get away. Some rats will even take off some of their limbs trying to get free and can be successful in doing so with glue traps.
They Can Be Harmful To Your Pets:
Getting a pet stuck in a glue trap can be just as damaging. If your pet happens to stumble across one of these traps they could end up with it stuck to their fur and the need for shaving or immediate medical care.
They Lead To Harmful Smells In Your Home:
Because the animal will likely die of suffocation this can often lead to the glue trap starting to smell depending on the area of your home that it is in. Rather than having harmful odors throughout your home, it would be wise for you to consider a different option that is much faster for killing a rat.
They Don't Remove The Problem:
Glue traps don't target nests and they don't take away the chance that rats could continue to breed and increase their numbers. Choosing a different type of trap could be a better option for targeting parents that can breed in the area.
They Don't Seal Up Other Areas Where Rats Could Get In:
A glue trap is a temporary solution and it will only work on the rats that you have inside your home. If rats find a different area to get into or they are able to burrow deeper, the glue trap will not stop them.
Rats Are Quite Intelligent:
If you have a glue trap that's in a regular spot, rats may soon start to avoid it over time. No matter how tempting the glue bait may seem, a rat may actively avoid a trap after it's been in an area for some time.
