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
Rats And Black Pepper
Rats eat almost anything. In their search for food, they can gnaw on plastic, wood, and even electrical wiring. A rat presence in your home can cause a lot of economic damage.
When this expense is added to the health problems rats' body fluids can cause, the best thing a person can do is getting them out of the house as soon as possible. The most common extermination way is using traps or rodenticides. However, there are more natural methods such as the use of peppers that cause unpleasant odors and tastes for the rodent and quickly drive them away.
Odors That Repel
Using repellents with unpleasant odors for rats is a way to keep them away from you in a friendly way. The advantage of not having to deal with the rodent's carcass can be worth the effort of constantly using these temporary methods. Rodents use their sense of smell to socialize as well as to survive. An odor such as ammonia often drives them away because it is very similar to the urine of large animals that could devour them. Spicy odors are perceived as dangerous chemicals that are also often avoided at all costs.
Black Pepper
Spicy food odors are unbearable for rats, thanks to their high capsaicin content. These natural compounds give the food its spicy effect, but they are also often very irritating to the mucous membranes and lungs of rodents. If ingested, they can cause a burning sensation in the taste buds and olfactory glands. Pepper is known to be able to scare away rats temporarily although this is not scientifically proven.
For all those people who are afraid of having to deal with poisons or homemade traps, finding new and less harmful options is a headache; however, homemade repellents like black pepper avoid harming other animals and humans, being a perfect choice. In any case, even if they are harmless odors, it is advisable to seek the advice and follow the instructions of a professional in the field.
