Virginia Beach County, Virginia Beach Rat Control Situation:
I have finally cornered the single rat that has been living in our laundry room. He is under our dryer. can you come and get him. I am concerned that he will get away from me and hide somewhere else in the house.
Hi David, I read the helpful information on your website. Do you have a company that you would recommend? We live in Brentwood but we are on a tight budget! Maybe you know of someone reasonable who can clean up a dead rat & urine in the kitchen walls or under the cabinetry?
Hi my partner is a crop farmer and finds when he puts his combine away for the winter because it is impossible to clean all the grain from it the rats have a hay day. Eating everything wires and pipes included is there anything you can suggest to help.
There is a long and interesting story of my experience with rats a year ago and they seem to keep following me everywhere i have stayed at hotels, my friends homes, office i worked at and now my daughters apt. I feel as if though I'm cursed because not only do rats keep showing up in my life but i also happen to have Immune disorder and suffer from environmental illness which means my sense of smell is extremely sensitive and many times an odor will make me get sick to my stomach for example .rodent odor and especially rats. I saw your website and was hoping to get some feedback on how to convince my daughter this problem is real and it needs to be taken care of quickly. Thank you and I look forward to hearing back from you soon.
I have mice in the ceiling in an area with no access unless I start cutting out the ceiling and even then it would only be 1 small area at a time. I've put traps in the nearest space I can get to and I've caught quite a few. Question is do those sonic guard units really work. The guy from Virginia Beach , sells the Home Sentinel. Any feedback , will it drive them out of the house, it's a fairly big house so I would have to use a few of them. Thanks.
Virginia Beach 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.
