Saint Joseph County, South Bend Rat Control Situation:
Hey Dave I stumbled on your web site during a search for mice in the ceiling. I have a 12" tile ceiling in my entire house and a finished attic in my South Bend IN home. Unfortunately my neighbors are pigs and about to foreclose on their home and since they were living here we have a mouse problem which with previous neighbors we did not. We have a semidetached property so of course our homes are connected in the middle. I hear mice running on top of my tile ceiling mainly on our first floor where our kitchen and living rooms are and its loud. We have an awesome mouser cat but he can't get these although he stares at the ceiling often, he is obsessed with moussing! And does a wonderful job on the ones that venture out. I was told by a professional to cut some tiles out and place glue traps in the approximately 1 ½" between the tile back and the old ceiling. These neighbors will be leaving soon and I fear if no one cleans up their property inside and out my problem will get worse. I have even considered cutting random tiles out in their path and hooking a copper line to one of my gas engine tools and gassing these basterds out, the mice not the neighbors. LOL But I am sure that is not such a good idea, right? I have a feeling that all my solutions will involve removing ceiling tile and I guess I am looking for an easy way out but fear there is none. What are your thoughts?
South Bend Rat Control Tip of The Week
What Is The Natural Diet Of The Black Rat And Norway Rat?
Black Rat
The black rat (in many cases called the ship rat) has a smooth and incredibly long tail that is longer than its head and body. Romans were the ones who brought this species to Britain. The color of the black rat fluctuates from dark to grey-brown. When compared with brown rats, these creatures have little bodies and bigger ears and eyes. Black rats are amazing climbers. They are fit for running along phone wires, utilizing their tails to adjust while moving. The species is additionally called 'rooftop rat' due to building their homes high in rooftop spaces.
Diet
Black rats are viewed as omnivores and eat a wide scope of foods, including seeds, natural products, stems, leaves, fungi, and an assortment of invertebrates and vertebrates. They are generalists, and as a result, not picky on their food choice, which is demonstrated by their propensity to benefit from any meal given to cows, pigs, chickens, felines, and dogs.
Norway Rat
The main thing to know is that, regardless of the name, the Norway rat isn't really from Norway. It is believed that the name originated from a man named John Berkenhout, a British naturalist, who concluded that the brown rats had migrated to the UK from Norway. Present-day researchers think that this type of rat actually originates from China. They showed up in the British Isles most likely transported via ships and goods.
When they got to the UK, be that as it may, they immediately multiplied and set up for business there. That is the reason they are otherwise called the common rat, the road rat, the sewer rat, or the brown-colored rat.
Diet
Norway rats will eat pretty much anything. If they get inside, they'll search in your kitchen cupboards and pantries. Specifically, the rats are looking for meat and even fish; however, they will also feast cheerfully on dry dog food. When they discover the food, they will eat and eat, glutting themselves on what they find, and if they smell food, they'll chew through plastic, lead pipes, wood, and anything else to get there.
