Multnomah County, Portland Rat Control Situation:
I have had a serious problem with rats in my house--kitchen, bedrooms, in the walls, etc. I believe they began coming in from the garage which has been filled with junk for years. They ate through parts of my wooden door, through drywall, and even through wood along the sliding glass doors. I have been zapping them with the Rat Zapper, but I keep finding their feces all over and know it is dangerous. I am taking steps to arrange for the garage to be emptied and cleaned and have cleaned out my pantry, cleaned off all the lids, jars, etc, but I still see rat droppings in the living room and in two of the bedrooms. My kids are coming home to stay and I am fearful of disease. Can you clean those areas up and work simultaneously on sealing out entryways? Is it okay to use a dry vacuum to vacuum them up if I spray them well with Clorox first and then throw the vacuum away. I do not have the fancy masks, only the white ones. Is that dangerous. Please let me know what you recommend and costs for your services.
Hello sir. I need your advice. Me and my wife just bought our very first house in north Portland Oregon. My wife is due to give birth and we're to move in to this house by end of this month and there's no turning back since we already gave our landlord notice to move. This house requires some work but I'm emailing you mainly of one thing, rat infestation problem. We just took out an old stove from the kitchen and behind it, we saw about thousand rat droppings on the ground. And the house and detached garage smells. I'm not sure whether it's because house has been abandoned for over a year or what but we need rat problem resolved asap. On your website you mentioned using snap trap is the best way to get rid of rats. Where should I set up the traps? How many should I put? What kind of food should I put on the trap? Any other advice will be greatly appreciated.
Portland Rat Control Tip of The Week
What Are The Different Sounds Rats Make When They Are In Your Home?
Chittering:
The sound of chittering is often the sound of a rat chomping or grinding their teeth against building materials in your home. This type of behavior is fairly common for rats to sharpen their teeth as well as for nest construction. If you find that a rat in your home is making a chittering noise, this could be an indication that they are building a nest and ready to have children.
Hissing:
Hissing noise is often the sound of a rat in danger or a rat that is angry. Rats can be extremely territorial and if they are in an area of another rat that has a nest or they encounter a family pet there's a chance that they could hiss. If you approach a rat and hear a hissing sound, a rat could be simply trying to assert its dominance over you.
Squeaking:
Squeaking is often a communication method that is used between rats. The process of squeaking is fairly common in mice as well as in rats. The squeaking sound can be an indication that a rat is content and it is also a fairly common way to identify rats that could be in the walls or in close areas to your location. It's often difficult to hear a squeaking sound but if you have several rats in your home it can be easier to pick up as they start to move through the walls.
Rustling:
Rustling sounds are often the process of nest construction and these can happen outside the home or inside the home as a rat drags materials to build a nest. If you notice the sound of rustling, it is crucial that you consider contacting a pest professional as you could be facing rats that are reproducing.
