Milwaukee County, Milwaukee Rat Control Situation:
We live in a middle row home in Milwaukee WI. The homes on both sides of us are empty. One since 2007, and the other last year. My yard is bordered to an old factory that up until last year was also empty for a loooong time. To top it off the empty grass lot that bordered the propertys has recently been turned into a 'community' garden by the local non demonational religous group. We got our home last year in the fall. This summer we put up a small garden box. We keep our yard very clean, have our garbage in sealed cans, and don't leave our dog's ( jack fussier/pug mix) water dish filled unless we are out with him. Needless to say we are extreemly carefull. The only thing we do have is bird feeders. We have a family of cardinals that live in our lilac tree. Well yesterday when I let our dog out I noticed a hole from under our garden box. Naturally I thought it was from one of our local chipmunks that run from the community gardens wall across the yards. I filled it back up thought nothing of it and went on my way. This morning when I went to let our dog out I almost died !!! To my absloute horror there was a full grown RAT running around my yard and back down the hole. I go on the porch and it sticks its head out the hole and watches me as I get a huge shovel to fill the hole with steel mesh rocks and dirt. Needless to say I'm freeked out at the fact of:: 1. There are rats....where there is one you know there are more 2. It was out during the day 3. It wasn't afraid....hell it was almost following me like a dog to see what I was doing !!! I don't want me or my animals injured. Yes I have cats also (main coon/osicats larger than my dog who stay indoors) I have delt with rats when I lived in NYC.....sewer rats in the streets, not in my home. They were aggressive , I wached them kill a puppy. We killed them.I know how to keep them out of a house, how to protect the garbage cans, but with this I'm at a loss. What can I do to keep them out of my yard ???
Milwaukee Rat Control Tip of The Week
What To Do If There Is A Nest Of Rats In Your Attic
Being a commensal rodent, rats live and thrive very well in human settlements. When you have them in your home, these pests will most likely harbor in your attic and make it their nesting place. If you have rats nesting in your attic, the first sign you will notice is scratching and scurrying sound in the ceiling of your home at night.
Having confirmed that there are rats nesting in your attic, you might be thinking of what to do and the best way to handle the situation. Right here, we will be sharing all you need to know about what to do when you have rats nesting in your attic.
1. Attic Inspection
After noticing some unusual sounds in your attic, the first thing you need to do is to inspect your home to confirm if there are rats nesting in your attic or not. While inspecting your home, you need to also determine how the rats got into your attic and where they are nesting.
2. Repair The Rat Entry Holes
If you are lucky enough to find their entry holes, you need to seal them before doing any other thing. Sealing them off prevents other rats from entering your attic after you have removed all the rats already nesting there.
3. Remove The Rats
After the sealing and the repair job, the next thing for you to do is to remove the rats. To do this, all you have to do is set as many snap traps as possible in different locations in your attic. To increase your chances of trapping more rats, you need to bait the snap trap with baits like peanut butter or any other dry nut. This will help attract the rats to the traps.
4. Clean The Attic
Finally, you need to clean up your attic with a strong disinfectant, to ensure that you are safe from bacteria and other pathogens deposited by the rats.