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
Dealing With A Rat Infestation In Your Attic
Black Rats are small rodents that are common in almost all areas across the United States, and because of their smaller size they are considered to be less of a threat and a pest than Norway rats, their larger cousins. However, rats also carry a range of different diseases and can also pose a health risk to you and your family, so if you do find an infestation, it is worth dealing with is promptly. Rats are also good climbers, so finding them nesting in your attic is not uncommon.
Identifying That You Are Dealing With Rats Rather Than Other Pest Animal Species
The first step to dealing with an infestation is to ensure you are dealing with rats, as the sounds of scratching from the attic can sometimes be other animals such as rats, squirrels or even raccoons. The best way of identifying that it is rats you are dealing with is to check on any rat feces that you can find. These small pellets of poop should be significantly smaller than rat droppings, and will be around the size of a small grain of rice, and is black when fresh, turning brown and then grey after some time.
Precautions Before Carrying Out Rat Control Work
Going into a confined space where pest animals are present can be dangerous as there are often diseases that can be transmitted by rats. Wearing long sleeved clothing and gloves will help protect you from any nips from animals and also prevent direct contact with feces of urine. Another smart precaution is also to wear goggles and a breathing mask, as some diseases transmitted by rats can become airborne, and can then prove to be a dangerous problem if those airborne particles are then inhaled.
Laying Traps To Catch Rats
By far the most common and affordable way of dealing with a rat infestation in the attic is to lay traps to catch the little animals. The standard snap traps on a wooden base are cheap to buy and just as effective as more expensive options, and can be re-used, which is particularly useful if you have a larger rat infestation to deal with. When laying traps in the attic, make sure to lay them near the areas where you see the greatest buildup of rat feces, and also near any entry points they may be using to get in and out.
Removing Carcasses And Monitoring The Rat Problem
Once you have laid the traps, the next step is to monitor all of the traps over the next few days, to see how effective the traps are at dealing with the problem. With any rat carcass, you can simply bag it and place it in the garbage, or it can also be incinerated as well if you have the facility. Keep re-setting the traps and continue to monitor until you are no longer seeing any signs of rat activity and you are no longer catching any rats in your traps.
Repairs Required After A Rat Infestation
The key step to take after catching and dealing with all of the rats is to seal the attic, as they will often have several entry points to help them get in and out of the area. These should all be sealed using metal flashing or a suitable filler to prevent other rats from being able to get back into the area again. You should also try to remove any feces that you can, and if insulation is heavily soiled then that should also be replaced. One wise precaution is also to fumigate the attic after your repairs, to kill off any remaining bacteria or other particles that could be harmful to anyone going into the attic in the future.
