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
Why Are Mothballs And Ammonia Ineffective At Repelling Rats?
When it comes to repelling rats, the use of mothballs and ammonia are quite common, as many people consider using them to help keep rats away from their home. Despite how common these repellents are, their effectiveness is still questioned.
Mothballs and ammonia emit a strong smell that is believed to help repel rats by making them feel irritated, with the hope that the effects of the smell will make them lose interest in staying in a particular place and keep them away. The fact is, this might seem effective at the onset. But within a short time, these repellents lose their effectiveness and will no longer be able to repel rats.
Rats are covetous. When they see a need to stay around your home because there is abundant availability of food, they will ignore the effects of these repellents and continue with their activities. This simply means that if you choose to buy either mothballs or ammonia to repel the rats in your home, provided they see a greater need to stay, you will only be wasting your time because neither of the two repellents will help you in making your home rat-free.
Instead of using any of these repellents to help keep rats away from your home, you can focus more on making your home rat-proof. To do this, all you have to do is fix all the cracks and holes in your house which could serve as an entry point, get a very agile cat to help hunt them, and also keep your house and surroundings clean by removing trash. These are better ways to repel rats when compared with the use of mothballs and ammonia.