Cobb County, Marietta Rat Control Situation:
Hello David, I just happened upon your website and found it to be the most informative site of any I've seen regarding rat infestation. Everything you said makes sense to me. My problem involves rats in my crawl space (under my house) over that past 5 years. It continues to be an absolute nightmare. In 2008, they did so much damage that it was necessary to do a complete restoration ($3,500) and since then, I've had no insulation under my house for fear that they will start nesting in it again. For over two years now, it's been a constant problem and no one has been able to get it under control. I'm on a regular maintenance program with a pest control company (Alpha Ecological) and they told me I have the worst infestation of any customer they've ever dealt with! It seems the rats are mostly burrowing in from a distance and coming up under the vapor barrier. (I have an adjoining neighbor who's backyard is a mess and my pest control guy found evidence of rat holes and bird feeders, but the neighbor is doing nothing to combat the situation because he said he's never seen a rat.) There is a bait station in my crawl space now, and it sounds like that should be removed. I also have three traps set up down there. But I'm wondering if I need to take more drastic measures like cementing the crawl space which would cost a fortune, and I'm not sure how effective that would be? It's so depressing, my real estate person won't even list my house until this problem is resolved. I don't really want to move, but am so depressed over hearing the relentless activity, it's makin' me crazy. Any advice will be greatly appreciated. I left a message with the wildlife person in my area that was listed on your site. (Alpharetta GA/Cobb County) Thanks so much for your time and offering your knowledge!
Marietta Rat Control Tip of The Week
Do Rats Feel Pain?
Rats are one of the few animals with a developed brain and a sense of empathy. When handled with care, they can be playful and tickled. But when handled without compassion or roughly, they showcase a high level of anxiety and express their pain in a special kind of way. This clearly shows that just like every other animal, rats also feel pain.
When it comes to expression, rats express their pain in a special kind of way. They do this by slightly changing their facial appearance and making a grin that clearly shows that they are in discomfort. Apart from this, rats also show that they are in pain by narrowing their eyes, puffing out their cheeks, flattening their ears, and rhythmically increasing the size of their nose.
If you want to know if a rat is in pain or not, you will have to pay attention to its facial expressions. Since they are inaudible animals, waiting to hear them make excruciating sounds is a no-brainer. But with visual clues shared above, you will be able to know when a rat is in pain and when it is not.
Rats are sensible animals with a high level of empathy. Another way you can know when a rat is in pain without actually studying its facial expressions is when you see another rat showing concern for the isolated rat. This behavior in rats is also exhibited when one rat is wounded or ill. In situations like this, other rats will come around the indisposed rat to show their concern.
Having shared this, you can be certain that rats also feel pain. Therefore, if you notice any rat around exhibiting any of the signs above, the rat may be hurt or ill. Also, you need to understand the fact that rats are major carriers of diseases, hence you should avoid having direct contact with them.
