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
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.
