Henrico County, Richmond Rat Control Situation:
Hello David: I am a female and scared to death of rats and roaches...I am certain rats are in my attic crawl space and I found a hole in the screen appeared to be chewed..I am afraid of the crawl space without rats!!! Can I just place trap by the one runaway where I am pretty certain they have entered? Obviously I am trying to avoid bucks on exterminator.
David: I live in Richmond VA and have to park on the street. Recently, the city dug up our street and I suppose the rat population. My truck's engine got infested. It is being fixed at this moment, but I'm wondering what--if anything--can I do to prevent this from happening again.The digging on my street has stopped and has been covered with cement or whatever. The repairs are being made on the truck and everything under the hood is being cleaned & disinfected. Any input would be appreciated.
Hello David We thought we had a squirrel problem in our roof but a company named Wildlife Control inspected our house yesterday and said we have a mice and rat problem. We have heard these animals scratching in the chimney and in the attic for over a year. Wildlife Control said they would seal the holes, remove all the insulation, decontaminate the area, clean the area, replace the electrical wires and insulation for $9,244.00. The square footage of the attic is 1,850 square feet. Do you think this is a fair deal or should I get a second opinion? I live about 30 miles east of Richmond VA and do not know who to call? Thank You for your website and information.
David I live in Richmond Virginia where it gets pretty hot in the summer. My house is an old 2 story house built in 1937. I have been working with rat problems over the years and have been following the steps u have outlined. Of course I need to do more.... My question is: Would rats be in the attic in the summer time? It's probably 120 - 140 degrees in there and therefore I thought they would wait for the cooler weather. I use Blox during the cooler months around the perimeter of the house. Thanks in Advance.
Richmond Rat Control Tip of The Week
Are Rats Able to Enter a Property Through the Plumbing?
Rats are able to swim:
Rats are surprisingly flexible and they have some excellent swimming abilities. Even if they have to make their way in through your pipes, it won't take long for them to make their way into your home if they are located under it in the groundwater. A rat is a perfect size to get through most water pipes or sewage pipes and this can mean easy access into your home.
There are dry spots throughout your plumbing:
Depending on the way your plumbing bends, it is likely that there could be some dry spots within your plumbing or within the inner workings of your home. Rats may enter into your plumbing and may even build nests throughout these dryer areas.
Rats can damage your plumbing:
As well as being able to scurry through your plumbing, rats could potentially damage your plumbing or even clog up your pipes. If there is a major rat problem or a nest nearby, you could be risking the chance that you could damage your neighbor's pipes or have an ongoing rat problem in your own home.
Rats easily enter in through broken lines:
If there are areas of your plumbing that have fallen into disrepair, make sure that they can be properly fixed up. Broken sewer lines or tree roots in your plumbing can often be the perfect place for many rats to make their way into your property.
Check grates and drain covers:
Installing mesh or making sure that you have a proper cover for your drain covers can be important to keeping rats from invading your space. Regularly looking at all of your drains and making sure that a rat can't make their way inside can be very important.
Close your toilet lid:
Closing a toilet lid could be a simple practice you could use that can stop rats from entering your home.
