Lucas County, Toledo Rat Control Situation:
Hi David- Thank you very much for your site. It has been extremely helpful. I caught my first and I hope only rat tonight (I know that's doubtful) due to your trapping advice. That said, I need advice on how to deal with rats burrowing into dirt basements. I have a half basement with a dirt crawl space and a narrow dirt trench around the perimeter for drainage. We found a rat a week ago and saw it has burrowed two holes outside down into the basement. Obviously it opened it up after we filled it in. Short of getting a new foundation I have no clue what to do. The best advice I have found was to put hardware paper down but that would be difficult in the crawl space. I spoke with a professional trapper in Toledo OH and he said there wasn't much I could do about them getting in other than keeping the traps set. We have lived here 8 years and never have seen a rat before. Mice yes but we have worked hard to close up the holes but clearly this is a different ball game. We are in a rural area and there are no dumpsters and the neighbors are clean etc. So I do not think it's a matter of cleanliness. Any advice you could give would be more than appreciated. And again, thank you for your site!!
I have sent a picture of the droppings I found, is it from a rat? I have set 2 traps in my attic and rat poison in saucers some of which has been eaten, but still have the rat or rats. I don't know what to do next buy some more poison? as I've run out. I did not want to pay a pest control company as I think normally they just use poison anyway, but if I cant get rid of them will have to. Shall I put the traps where the droppings were seen. This is terrible I can hear it or them at night in the attic, and would appreciate your advice.
Hi David! Thanks for your site and all of the useful info. I searched for the following for days, and still have nothing. How long do diseases remain "alive" in rat feces ? I have evidence of rat nesting in my outdoor storage shed that I first noticed about 6 months ago. I plugged the point of entry with steel wool and have not seen any activity since. I plan to clean the disturbed area and discard the damaged things. My question is, considering the age of the feces, is it and the contaminated area still potentially toxic or just ugly dirty !?
Toledo Rat Control Tip of The Week
Symptoms Of A Sick Rat
In most cases, a sick rat will not show any obvious symptoms at the early stage of an illness. But if the rat in question is a domesticated rat, you might notice some physical changes in the rat if you are very observant. Here are some of the common symptoms that you might notice in a sick rat:- Restlessness and irregular breathing
- Eye and nasal discharge and continuous sneezing
- Rapid reduction in body weight
- Body exhaustion and excessive sleeping
- Lack of appetite and crouching behavior
If you notice any of these in a rat, it is an indication that the rat is sick and it needs urgent medical attention. After noticing any of these symptoms, the first thing you need to do is to avoid any form of contact with the rat. Rats are carriers of diseases, so it is best to avoid touching it.
Although, not every sickness of a rat is a result of viral, bacterial, or parasitic infection. Their sickness could also be as a result of physical injuries such as a sprained bone, a broken tail or toenails, or a bite wound from another rat or animal.
Just like other animals, rats are also affected by diseases. If you wish to keep the rat alive, the best thing you can do is to seek medical attention. Rats are very sensitive animals and will not do well when administered the wrong medication. Having shared this, you need to avoid the use of medication that is not prescribed by a veterinary doctor.
