Oklahoma County, Oklahoma City Rat Control Situation:
Good day. From where are you? I have A LOT of rats in my roof. Traps DON'T work. The rats/mice are moving around in my house as well. I need to get rid of them ASAP. Can you help? I just bought a new house. I called a guy listed on your website, and he came out right away, which I appreciated very much. He said I had attic rats and set 2 traps. He said there were mice up there too. A friend told me that rats don't cohabitate with mice. Is that true? Also, after reading your website, it says to block all entrances first before trapping, so was wondering why he would set traps first? Thank you!
My husband and I have been dealing with mice in the attic and walls of our bedroom of our new house for about a month now. We have blocked all entry points (to our knowledge). We are currently using glue traps. We tried snap traps, but they kept eating the peanut butter off them without setting them off. We have caught 5 mice with the glue traps. I haven't been waking up to scratching in the walls for about a week. So I'm optimistic we finally blocked everything off. But how do you know when they are completely gone? We have been catching them in the attic, but I can only hear them when they are gnawing in the walls. We haven't ventured far into the attic, since there's no floor. How would you suggest going in there and cleaning? Any information will help. I'm trying to nip this in the bud before it becomes an infestation. I had rats about 2 years ago, and I believe I got rid of them. But I think there are still feces and urine in the attic (about 1700 square feet). I would like to have it cleaned up but was just quoted a price that is out of my range. There is no insulation in the attic. How much should I expect to pay for this?
Oklahoma City 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.
