Davidson County, Nashville Rat Control Situation:
David, Thank you for your site. Lots of great info there and very thorough. I had rats in my attic. Before I saw your site I called Orkin and they did a decent job with trapping and exclusion. It's hot in Nashville now so we have not had problems recently. Now it's time for cleanup. Wildlife Conrol quoted $4500. We can not and will not be paying that. A friend that does termite work mostly quoted $250. He proposes using his shop-vac to vaccum the droppings. I have ordered the Bac-azap for disinfecting, based on your recommendation and other reviews read online and he will also spray down the attic. Couple questions: I'm concerned about the use of the Shop-vac for the exhaust that will be broadcast while it's on. He says he will look for a Hepa filter, but in your opinion is this acceptable? Many Wildlife Control techs were in the attic many times over a month, without respirators, and to my knowledge no disease contracted (visibly). Is that enough to rule out potential hazards in using a Shop-vac? I'm told the level of droppings is "not that bad" and isolated to a couple areas. That may or may not help you. Second question is if spraying the enzyme will be sufficient, or if a fogger is required? I do have small children which is the concern, but I'm trying to remain reasonable and believe the drastic and expensive techniques proposed by some may be overkill (scare tactics?). Thanks again for your informative site, and thank you in advance for any advice.
I had a pet rat that went missing in early June of this year and just today we discovered it got stuck between my wall and dresser. It looks like a pancake. At first, I thought it was mold but then saw it's eyes and skeleton. I have no idea what to do and the thought of removing it myself is horrifying. How do I remove a rat the has decomposed this far and that is pretty much stuck to my wall and dresser?
Sunday morning woke up to find the rubber threshold to the front door was eaten away. Droppings about ¼ - 3/8" were found throughout the house. Looked like more than one with about 20 droppings. Spent Sunday replacing the threshold, put two TomCat baited traps by the front door and two TomCat baited traps in the house (by front door and next to refrigerator. Also, two mouse traps with peanut butter bait (the kind the mouse goes in and the door shuts behind it). Went to go to work today (Monday), new threshold eaten away, and only about 6 - 7 droppings in the house. All traps not touched. I have read sticky paper is a good way to catch rodents. Based off what I have stated above, is this a rat looking for a new food source to go back and tell his friends?
Hi David. Are you based in the Portland Metro area, or is that Wildlife Control? I have a listing that shows old rat black box traps and has about 12 bags of insulation that's been wrapped up for years. Buyer just had a home inspection and is asking for any and all rats found in the premises and in the crawl space to be removed, the bags removed, all the other contaminated insulation removed, vacuumed, fogged...and then new insulation laid. Would that be a job you can bid on, maybe Monday?
Nashville Rat Control Tip of The Week
Rats And Black Pepper
Rats eat almost anything. In their search for food, they can gnaw on plastic, wood, and even electrical wiring. A rat presence in your home can cause a lot of economic damage.
When this expense is added to the health problems rats' body fluids can cause, the best thing a person can do is getting them out of the house as soon as possible. The most common extermination way is using traps or rodenticides. However, there are more natural methods such as the use of peppers that cause unpleasant odors and tastes for the rodent and quickly drive them away.
Odors That Repel
Using repellents with unpleasant odors for rats is a way to keep them away from you in a friendly way. The advantage of not having to deal with the rodent's carcass can be worth the effort of constantly using these temporary methods. Rodents use their sense of smell to socialize as well as to survive. An odor such as ammonia often drives them away because it is very similar to the urine of large animals that could devour them. Spicy odors are perceived as dangerous chemicals that are also often avoided at all costs.
Black Pepper
Spicy food odors are unbearable for rats, thanks to their high capsaicin content. These natural compounds give the food its spicy effect, but they are also often very irritating to the mucous membranes and lungs of rodents. If ingested, they can cause a burning sensation in the taste buds and olfactory glands. Pepper is known to be able to scare away rats temporarily although this is not scientifically proven.
For all those people who are afraid of having to deal with poisons or homemade traps, finding new and less harmful options is a headache; however, homemade repellents like black pepper avoid harming other animals and humans, being a perfect choice. In any case, even if they are harmless odors, it is advisable to seek the advice and follow the instructions of a professional in the field.
