Thurston County, Olympia Rat Control Situation:
Hello, I have a very old house in Olympia which I purchased not too long ago, but came with several other inhabitants. We've tried mousetraps and had no luck. There is quite a bit of excrement in my basement and the stairs leading to the basement. I don't go down there much myself, because it's an unfinished basement and I rarely have reason to, but I did go down recently and there are two dead mice on my basement floor. I have never been up to the attic, but I'm sure that is a problem as well. I now realize this is a problem bigger than my capabilities and it's now time to call in the professionals. Can you help me with the cleanup of the mice and their droppings, and sealing off their entry points? Thank you for your time, Tannia
Olympia Rat Control Tip of The Week
Why Don't Repellents Work Well To Get A Rat Out Of The Attic?
The urgent need for people to get rid of rats in their attic has made many consider humane removal methods apart from trapping and killing, one of which is the use of repellents. But here is the question! Do repellents work in getting rats out of attics?
The main idea of a repellent is to make the environment unsuitable for rats. This is achieved by using several techniques such as, scents and sound emissions. Although there is a wide range of repellents to choose from, the fact is that the use of repellents might not give you the kind of result that you desire in the long run. It might help keep them away for a while, but when the effects of the repellents subside, they will come back.
Let's take a look at some supposed effective rat repellents and how they were designed to work. With this, you will have a clear picture of the result you might get when you choose to use repellents to get rid of the rats in your attic.
Scent repellents are one of the most common repellents that are readily available in stores. This repellent is designed to use intense scent to either irritate or nauseate the rats. When used the first time, this might help repel the rats as intended. But with time, these rats will get used to this scent and will tend to stay until they get accustomed to it.
Another commonly used rat repellent is mechanical repellents. Apart from being ineffective, they are also very expensive. These repellents are designed to use sound and light waves to repel rats in the attic. This will also not give the desired results simply because rats are intelligent animals and will figure out that the mechanism can't cause any harm to them.
Having realized this, the best thing you can do to repel rats in your attic is by making it less appealing to them. This can be done by cleaning out the trash and making sure there are no hiding places for the rats.