Berks County, Reading Rat Control Situation:
David, Thanks for having such an informative website. We've recently gotten over our second round of rats in the basement. We have had a pest control group helping us, pretty much with bait throughout the basement. It's certainly worked, but boy is it not fun to follow the smell to the dead guy. It seems we have been free from seeing any droppings for a few weeks or any signs of activity. The strange thing is that in the past week we have had hundreds of house flies that we are dealing with in the basement. I'm assuming the problems are related. We've been going down to vacuum all visible flies (every 4-6 hours). Each time we easily find another 20 to suck down. We aren't smelling the familiar smell of a dead rat, is it possible it's there but beyond the stench phase? Any suggestions? The flies aren't congregating in one spott, they tend to hover around the windows. Any chance you service Reading PA? Could really use someone as yourself to complete the inspection of the basement for possible other entry points and removal of any additional insulation that may be harboring feces. Ok, I appreciate any input you could provide.
We have 5 cats, three are usually indoors all the time. Sometimes they bring in a mouse or rat and it gets away. And then the rodents can live in the house for a long time and the cats don't care one little bit unless the rodent just happens to make a dash across the room in broad daylight - and gets spotted. Otherwise, it's home sweet home for the rodents until I snap-trap them into oblivion. I would add that if you know you have mice or rats, deal with it as soon as you can. We had a mouse get up inside our washer and chew through 7 of the little control wires to the control panel, killing the washer and necessitating a $50.00 replacement part, and later causing a flood from a leaky hose that cost me $200.00 to fix. Had we taken care of him earlier this could have all been avoided. I agree with you about glue boards. Seems needlessly inhumane. Just put yourself in the position of the rat: you want to go out quickly or be stuck on a glue board until you starve to death?
Reading Rat Control Tip of The Week
Tips To Find And Remove A Dead Rat
Rats sneak into hard-to-reach areas. They sometimes end up dying of hunger, trapped by the walls or the elements of the roof. A foul odor can fill the room after a few days, causing discomfort to occupants and threatening their health. Here are some tips for dealing with this case.
Identify And Dislodge The Remains Of The Rodent.
The smell is the first tool to locate the carcass of a dead rat. Therefore, it is necessary to walk in the concerned area, keeping your nose near the walls, pipes, or the ceiling, for example. The carcass is located where the odor emanates the most. Equipped with gloves and tools like a saw, screwdriver, flashlight, etc., you have to create an opening to remove the carcass. It is important to disinfect the area where the dead rat was found to avoid more serious illnesses.
What To Do With The Carcass?
The law prohibits dumping any animal carcass in waterways, garbage cans, public roads, or any other place. As soon as the dead rat is dislodged, it should be placed in a sealed plastic bag. Only then will it be possible to put it in the trash. However, it is best to burn the remains if possible. Burial is also possible, but there is a minimum of depth to be respected.
