Providence County, Providence Rat Control Situation:
Looking for a good/reputable rat removal person or company in Providence RI. We hired a guy about a month ago and he hasn't helped us at all, threw $500 away basically. Thanks for any help/advice you can give me. Thanks a lot David for your post on rats. I am an artist with a lot of fragile stuffs around and this crazy rat forced its way into my living room through the ceiling. Pls how best can I get rid of this mad parasite? Thank you.
Hi David, Great website. I am having trouble finding the mice. There is no evidence of them in the living space of the house (feces, urine). However one came up the fireplace through the crawl space and I saw two in there the next day. I proceeded to seal all entries that I could find. Smallest hole at all and I'd seal it. Steel wool or mesh. Placed traps where I saw some droppings in ceiling space and in attic and in crawl space along walls. I baited wooden snap trap with peanut butter, sausages, crackers. None of them have been touched at all and I haven't seen mouse since day 2, 7 days ago. I even left some bait next to the trap and they've not been touched at all. Could they have vacated the building? They've never eaten from our kitchen that I've noticed. Not sure where and how to set more traps. Thanks for any advice.
Hey David.....read your article on rats and thought I'd contact you....think I have rats in my attic.....rat terds are visible, but don't hear any rats running around.....since I don't crawl around in attics anymore, can you recommend someone in the Providence Rhode Island area that is competent and reasonable?
I have a beautiful vine-like plant growing in my patio. What can I do to keep mice/rats away from it? I don't want to remove the plant. Do you have any suggestions?
Providence Rat Control Tip of The Week
Using Exclusion Funnels To Get Rid Of Rats Without Killing Them
Rats are probably the second most common species of rodent to be found in our towns and cities after rats, and like their larger relations, they can also often find their way into many different areas of the domestic property. Because rats can carry diseases, and can also transmit them by soiling food and water sources, it is natural to want to get rid of them as soon as possible. Exclusion funnels are one approach that can be used to try and get rid of rats from your home.
How Do The Exclusion Funnels Work?
Ultimately, the funnels are designed so that the rats can easily get in through the wide end of the funnel, and can then push themselves out of the narrow end of the funnel when they are leaving a particular area of your property. However, when they try to get back in the narrow end of the funnel the entrance is too small and cannot be prized open, meaning the rats are not able to get back into the area where they are causing the problem. The key aspect with exclusion funnels is that the rats really do need to be contained in one area of the home.
Preparation Work To Install Your Exclusion Funnels
The first step before you install any exclusion funnels in your property is to carry out a detailed search of where they are active, and then to identify all of the holes the rats are using to get in and out of that area. The reason for this is that you need to be able to deal with each entry point the rats may use so that when you install the funnels, they cannot simply come back in through another entry point. While carrying out this work, it is usually a wise precaution to wear long sleeved clothing and gloves, along with a breathing mask and goggles to protect yourself from any disease transmission.
Where To Place Your Exclusion Funnels
It is usually best to only place one or two exclusion funnels, and then seal the remaining access points that you can find in the area where the rats are nesting. When choosing which entry points to install your exclusion funnels, the best options are usually those that have the heaviest traffic, and should be indicated by a greater buildup of rat droppings and urine stains.
Monitoring The Rat Activity In Your Home
Once you have installed the exclusion funnels, the next step is to monitor the area to see how effective the funnels have been. In some cases, this part of the work can actually prove to be quite trial and error, as the rats will often have other secret entry points that you may not have found on your first search of the area. In this instance you will then have to search the area again, and try and find the other access point the rats are using to get in and out.
The Challenges Of Using Exclusion Funnels To Deal With Rats
One of the key benefits of using exclusion funnels to deal with rats is that it doesn?t kill the animals so you don?t have to dispose of any carcasses. However, this also means that the rats can try and find other ways to get into your home, which means it can take longer to deal with them than if you were to use lethal means to deal with a rat infestation. The other issue with using exclusion funnels for such small animals is that because of their size, it is very difficult and detailed work to actually find all of the holes they are using to get in and out.
