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 Cats Good at Keeping Rats Away?
When it comes to removing rats from homes, the use of cats in hunting these rodents is one of the best natural ways of getting that done. Cats and rats are natural enemies; hence cats are good at keeping rats away. The only issue with keeping cats to remove rats from your home is that there is a high probability of it being prone to catching other non-target animals like frogs, birds, and lizards. Also, there are no guarantees that the cat you bring into your home to keep rats away will help catch the rat within a specific time.
Apart from the hunting skills that cats use to remove rats, the scent of a cat will also make rats stay away from your home. Rats have a well-developed sense of smell and can easily pick up slight scents. With this, they can sense the presence of a cat in a particular area and stay as far as possible away from it. This survival instinct of rats will send them packing.
But for this to work the way you want it to, you need to find a cat that displays typical hunting behavior. Naturally, cats do have hunting instincts and the urge to catch rats. But this only gets triggered when the right environment is in place or the cats are encouraged to do so.
If you want a cat with a good hunting instinct, the first thing you need to do is to make inquiries as to whether the mother of the kitten was a good hunter or not. Cats learn the required hunting skills from their mother. If you want the cat you will be introducing into your home to be a good hunter, it will need to learn these hunting skills from its mother.
Are cats good at keeping rats away?
When it comes to removing rats from homes, the use of cats in hunting these rodents is one of the best natural ways of getting that done. Cats and rats are natural enemies; hence cats are good at keeping rats away. The only issue with keeping cats to remove rats from your home is that there is a high probability of it being prone to catching other non-target animals like frogs, birds, and lizards. Also, there are no guarantees that the cat you bring into your home to keep rats away will help catch the rat within a specific time.
Apart from the hunting skills that cats use to remove rats, the scent of a cat will also make rats stay away from your home. Rats have a well-developed sense of smell and can easily pick up slight scents. With this, they can sense the presence of a cat in a particular area and stay as far as possible away from it. This survival instinct of rats will send them packing.
But for this to work the way you want it to, you need to find a cat that displays typical hunting behavior. Naturally, cats do have hunting instincts and the urge to catch rats. But this only gets triggered when the right environment is in place or the cats are encouraged to do so.
If you want a cat with a good hunting instinct, the first thing you need to do is to make inquiries as to whether the mother of the kitten was a good hunter or not. Cats learn the required hunting skills from their mother. If you want the cat you will be introducing into your home to be a good hunter, it will need to learn these hunting skills from its mother.
