Norfolk County, Norfolk Rat Control Situation:
Will removing the food source remove the mice? I found a black mouse today...man, those things are fast. And every animal I've ever seen is stupid; this one tried to run by and ran face-first into a box, immediately letting out a startled squeak as it crashed. Idiot. They all go full-potato around me. Anyway, turns out I had a 20lb bag of bird seed which is now a 2lb bag of bird seed. I've now put that and the grass seed outside. As there's a mouse here now, I'm going to re-check my food storage to ensure it's all inaccessible. Will removing the food remove the mice? Nothing to eat here. If they can't find food, will they go away?
Dear David, I have to say that I have found your site very informative. We have had mice this past very cold winter and caught 3-4 of them with snap traps. The last one was probably March or April. This week I noticed a sewer smell in the stairwell of the basement; I caught all the mice in the basement. I am having a hard time determining which wall right or left it is coming from. It is about 5 steps down the 12 steps. That area would probably be height of the first floor. Do you suggest I try cutting a hole in the wall. My husband suggested using a drill hole to determine which wall, easier to patch. I am not sure if I should call someone or just start to cut the wall myself. Any advice would be welcome. Thank you!
Hi I have them now because I am remodeling I am in the process of sealing all open areas but I still feel they will be under my trailer, can you give tips in helping controlling them I am willing to do what it takes to get rid of them. Please advise what is a nuisance controller and how do I find one for a reasonable price.
The rats are in the floor (First floor ceiling) and 2nd story joist space and in the attic that has no access and are waking me up. I'm afraid they are going to short a wire a burn the house down. What about electric traps . And if they're OK where do you put them. Thanks Doug in Tacoma WA PS I'm building then out and placing snap traps too. Peanut butter on cotton balls. I feed the birds and the neighbors have chickens and don't pick up their rotting fruit. So eliminating food would be impossible. I would quit feeding the birds if thought it would help.
Norfolk Rat Control Tip of The Week
Can A Rat Have Rabies?
Rats have powerful bites:
Rats can have very powerful bites and are capable of damaging the skin quickly. A rat can bite through cinderblocks to get into an area if it needs to. Rats could bite through clothing or manage to break the skin even unintentionally with a very quick bite. Handling rats with care or using heavy gloves is recommended if you have to remove one or relocate it. It is ultimately best if you avoid handling rats whenever possible.
Many people are bitten each year with low rates of infection:
Rats bite over 50,000 people in the USA each year. Rabies vaccine shots are very rarely delivered in these cases and the risk for other types of diseases that rats carry can be far greater. Going to see a doctor about a rat bite can be wise if you are starting to feel some of the secondary symptoms or it looks infected.
Rats do spread disease:
Rats do spread a series of diseases including rat-bite fever. It can be transmitted through a bite or through pets. Rabies can be a deadly disease but most of the diseases that rats pass on are only able to cause the chance for fever and infection which carry lower rates of mortality.
Other animals can be much riskier to receive bites from:
If you are bitten by other animals like raccoons, coyotes, woodchucks, or skunks, this will give you a much riskier chance of receiving something like rabies. When bitten by a rat, you should be concerned but you may not have to run to get the bite checked out with the same urgency.
The main theory of low rabies cases:
A rat would have to survive a bite from a predator in order to become a carrier of rabies. As coyotes and larger animals will be likely to kill a rat in an attack, this leads to the chance of rats not being able to spread rabies at all.
