Monroe County, Rochester Rat Control Situation:
Hey Dave, we live in what we estimate to be in the area of a 100 yr. old one level house that is sitting on columns. The crawl space is similar to your web pica, very small. Rats & mice have been a concern since we moved in !8 yrs ago. All along I've been using sticks of poison. They take the sticks & seem to disappear. I don't know how they're getting in or out or if they are dying under there, and the process continues. I've tried using a snap trap but it seems the peanut butter dries up & is useless. Some company gave us an estimate of $10,000 to seal the cp but couldn't guarantee the rats wouldn't return. Maybe I haven't done enough inspection for entry/exit. Any advice ? Thanks, Mike
Dear Sir/Madam, Would you please recommend me an experienced company good at killing rats and mice? I noticed the problem more than one year ago. June last year, I hired EcoFirst to eliminate the rats and mice, and at that time, I signed a Contract with the company for one year. A half year later, that company was bought by Terminix, and it took over the job. So far, more than one year has passed, and they have come to my house several times, but the problem has NOT been solved at all, and it becomes more serious. June last year, the rats (mice?) were found in the Garage. Now, the rats (mice?) comes to my kitchen. This was noticed one month ago. I'm not sure whether it is rats or mice. We have not caught any so far. What should I do? Do you have any suggestion? Thank you very much. Regards, Paul
Rochester Rat Control Tip of The Week
New York City's Rat Problem
The Norway Rat:
The majority of rats in New York City are Norway rats, otherwise known as brown rats. Brown rats typically weigh 1 pound and they can grow up to 16 inches long. A brown rat needs just 1 ounce of food and water every day to survive.
Agile Creatures:
Brown rats are known for their ability to climb through pipes and get through small spaces. Even though some of the largest brown rats can be up to 20 inches long and weigh more than 2 pounds, it's easy for them to fit through a hole that's the size of a quarter. Rats have some serious superpowers and are capable of falling up to five stories without any injury and leaping up to 4 feet for climbing.
Going Through Any Material:
Rats also have extremely strong jaw muscles and quality teeth. There are rats in New York that are capable of chewing through cinderblocks and sewer pipes.
Where Rats Live:
Most rats will rarely travel more than 600 feet away from the area that they were born. Most rats like to nest and burrow in soft ground as well as below ground to live in colonies. A rat colony is usually between 30 to 50 rats and the number of rats in a burrow or family is usually between 8 to 12. Rats stay close to their food source and they can often be found just a few hundred feet from where they go every day to be fed. Public garbage areas, alleyways, and more can be a hotbed for rats and NYC produces its own information portal on areas where rats are heavily concentrated.
Massive Population:
It's estimated that there are roughly 2,000,000 rats in New York City and this means that the rat population in New York City sits around 25% of the total number of humans.