Riverside County, Riverside Rat Control Situation:
David, Read your entire website with interest as we recently purchased a home in the Palm Springs area and the inspection of it passed but did not mention any rats/mice. However within the first week of moving in we heard the distinct scratching of feet in our attic. I have since been up there and we do have droppings and signs that they have been there for a while. Our plan is to seal the entry points, lay traps and then have the attic insulation removed, attic sanitized and new insulation put in. See questions below if you would be so kind as to assist. To this point, we have no droppings in the living area, no outside obvious entry points (we walked the premises with a professional extermination company that handles rodents) and now moving to the roof to get a roofing company to come in and close all entry points, seal caps etc. Garbage is in the garage in sealed containers, we have no trees close to the house and no citrus at all on the property. Reason for this email is that the only company you show in this area is in Riverside and I wonder if you have any recommendations for a firm in the Coachella Valley. If so, could you please send me the contact name and phone number as we will be following your recommendations to the letter. QUESTIONS: Assuming we get all the entry points closed and sealed properly, should we use the extermination company as you show to do the re-insulation of the attic? We have been quoted on the service that they will trap and remove, then using HEPA vacuums and in proper gear will remove all insulation in bags for safe destruction and then they use a bleach/water combination to sanitize. Obvious next step is to re-insulate the attic. Your thoughts on the process and the bleach/water solution? Recognizing that we have no contacts within this industry, what questions should we be asking the firms we are talking to so as to avoid getting ripped off or worse...not eliminating the issues and problems? Last question: roof is most likely the entry points. Am I going down the right path to get a roofing company to seal these points from the outside and ask that they use steel within the closure? Really appreciate the reply as Canadians that just bought the home, we don't have quite the issue back where we are from. Thanks, Tim
Riverside Rat Control Tip of The Week
The Reasons Why So Many Rats Live In Big Cities
Since ancient times, rodents have noticed how humans have created comfortable dwellings that in turn often house large amounts of food. The invasion of people's homes and privacy by rats is due to their constant search for shelter and food.
Rats can chase man wherever he goes, in order to continue to benefit. These animals can have a great capacity to adapt to the different environments humans live in. The rodent's diet consists of anything and to get it they can gnaw, climb, jump, run, and even swim.
A Big City To Share
With the settlement of large cities, human beings have grown in population and their consequences on the planet too. The environmental pollution of large cities represents a serious danger caused by people themselves. However, for rats, it has represented the peak of their population growth rate.
Human beings transporting themselves from one place to another, wherever they go, will take the rats along with them, having to share their cities. These animals have become pests to many people because it is exactly in the habitats of humans that they find the perfect conditions to live comfortably.
The More Garbage, The More Rats
Rodents can be phobic animals, that is, they fear new places and prefer to move through the same paths their whole lives. The exploratory and inquisitive instinct that characterizes rats is due to their need to survive in the absence of shelter. Rodents consume one-fifth of the world's food supply each year. The garbage dumps in big cities, day after day, are filled with new food remnants that provides rats with everything they need to survive.
Today, it's very likely that you'll come across a rat in any city in the world. However, people take care of their homes by being advised by professionals who teach them ways to combat this urban pest.
