Salt Lake County, Salt Lake City Rat Control Situation:
My neighborhood has a rat problem and the town has hired someone who put traps on everyone's property. I'm scared to death for the stray cats, raccoons, snakes and other predators of rats. How can I get them to understand this is a BIG mistake?!
I HAD A FEW GUYS THAT CAME OUT TO MY HOME IN SALT LAKE CITY. TOLD ME WHERE THEY WERE GETTING IN AT LEAST THE PLACES I COULDNT LOCATE, I WIRED THEM OFF. I HAVE SET TRAPS IN THE ATTIC W/ SLIM JIMS. I AM ONLY CATCHING LITTLE MICE NOT THE RATS I KNOW ARE UP THERE. THEY SOUND LIKE HORSES. I CANNOT REACH THE AREAS THAT THEY ARE IN AS THEY ARE TRAVELLING IN THE SOFFETS, KNOWING THEY TRAVEL THE ATTIC THEY WILL COME TO THE TRAPS W THE FOOD. BUT THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR 2 MOS NOW AND I HV TO STOP THIS .. NOW !!! DO YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS AS FAR AS USING ANYTHING OTHER THAN SNAP TRAPS AND POISON WHICH THEY HV FIGURED OUT ARE POISON .. I HV EVEN GONE AS FAR AS CHOPPING UP THE BLOCKS W CAT FOOD. I HAD USED LIVE TRAPS, BUT THE DAMN THINGS WERE FIGURING OUT HOW TO GET OUT .. LITERALLY EATING THE BAIT AND OUT OF THE TRAP OVER NIGHT !! I REFUSE TO USE GLUE TRAPS I THINK THEY ARE INHUMANE AND SHOULD BE REMOVED OFF OF THE MARKET. I COULD CARE LESS IF YOU CAN USE OIL TO REMOVE THEM I HV SEEN RATS LOOSE BODY PARTS WHOLE THEY STRUGGLE TO GET OFF OF THEM OR TEAR SKIN. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY HELP YOU CAN OFFER.
Hi David, My name is Tri Dao, I'm living in SLC Utah. I have rats in the attic and kids in the house. I went on line to check and read your website. I really impress with your experience and knowledge.I would like to ask you some question, My plan is remove the old blow-in insulation and put new one in. Do I still need to take care the rat problem first, then do the insulation or we can do 1 shot with the insulation and get rid of the rat too? Please help me with some solution in my case. Thanks in advance for your help and your services.
Salt Lake City Rat Control Tip of The Week
Dealing With A Rat Infestation In Your Attic
Black Rats are small rodents that are common in almost all areas across the United States, and because of their smaller size they are considered to be less of a threat and a pest than Norway rats, their larger cousins. However, rats also carry a range of different diseases and can also pose a health risk to you and your family, so if you do find an infestation, it is worth dealing with is promptly. Rats are also good climbers, so finding them nesting in your attic is not uncommon.
Identifying That You Are Dealing With Rats Rather Than Other Pest Animal Species
The first step to dealing with an infestation is to ensure you are dealing with rats, as the sounds of scratching from the attic can sometimes be other animals such as rats, squirrels or even raccoons. The best way of identifying that it is rats you are dealing with is to check on any rat feces that you can find. These small pellets of poop should be significantly smaller than rat droppings, and will be around the size of a small grain of rice, and is black when fresh, turning brown and then grey after some time.
Precautions Before Carrying Out Rat Control Work
Going into a confined space where pest animals are present can be dangerous as there are often diseases that can be transmitted by rats. Wearing long sleeved clothing and gloves will help protect you from any nips from animals and also prevent direct contact with feces of urine. Another smart precaution is also to wear goggles and a breathing mask, as some diseases transmitted by rats can become airborne, and can then prove to be a dangerous problem if those airborne particles are then inhaled.
Laying Traps To Catch Rats
By far the most common and affordable way of dealing with a rat infestation in the attic is to lay traps to catch the little animals. The standard snap traps on a wooden base are cheap to buy and just as effective as more expensive options, and can be re-used, which is particularly useful if you have a larger rat infestation to deal with. When laying traps in the attic, make sure to lay them near the areas where you see the greatest buildup of rat feces, and also near any entry points they may be using to get in and out.
Removing Carcasses And Monitoring The Rat Problem
Once you have laid the traps, the next step is to monitor all of the traps over the next few days, to see how effective the traps are at dealing with the problem. With any rat carcass, you can simply bag it and place it in the garbage, or it can also be incinerated as well if you have the facility. Keep re-setting the traps and continue to monitor until you are no longer seeing any signs of rat activity and you are no longer catching any rats in your traps.
Repairs Required After A Rat Infestation
The key step to take after catching and dealing with all of the rats is to seal the attic, as they will often have several entry points to help them get in and out of the area. These should all be sealed using metal flashing or a suitable filler to prevent other rats from being able to get back into the area again. You should also try to remove any feces that you can, and if insulation is heavily soiled then that should also be replaced. One wise precaution is also to fumigate the attic after your repairs, to kill off any remaining bacteria or other particles that could be harmful to anyone going into the attic in the future.
