New Castle County County, Wilmington Rat Control Situation:
Hi David, I rent an apartment in Wilmington DE and have consistent mouse problems. It started with a mouse in the beginning of the year- I set all types of traps (snapping, glue, poison) and it would only eat the peanut butter and not get caught. Finally it was caught, but again I have a mouse and all the different traps that are out are only feeding it. I know the only real way to stop them is to close off all points of access, but living in an old apartment building and having landlords who've stopped caring about all the mice problems makes it harder. My neighbors also have mice problems and I think they're traveling between apartments. I obviously cant secure every hole, but I can at least try with my place. Would stuffing the holes with mesh wire then covering it with caulking work? I'm not sure how to finish off the holes. Also if you have any insight on how to deal with these renter vs. landlord situations, I'm all ears. Thanks for listening, Dianna
Hello, Attached are 2 photos of what I think are from a wood rat. My family owns a large cabin in the middle of 260 wooded acres. The ground around the cabin has been cleared for years. In the past we only had mice to control, but now we have critters that we cannot control. We place rat/mice poison in 3 areas. They eat it all within 2 weeks. There is lots of poop right around the poison trays. Now the critter is eating part of the sofa and has knocked a lamp over. We have had flying squirrels and wood rats in the past. But they ate the poison and died. Not the case now. What do you suggest? We put moth balls under the cabin and the attic appears not to be an issue. We cannot find where they are coming in. VERY frustrating. Can you help?? Thank you. I have to forward the pictures from my computer.
Wilmington Rat Control Tip of The Week
Are Cats Good at Keeping Rats Away?
When it comes to removing rats from homes, the use of cats in hunting these rodents is one of the best natural ways of getting that done. Cats and rats are natural enemies; hence cats are good at keeping rats away. The only issue with keeping cats to remove rats from your home is that there is a high probability of it being prone to catching other non-target animals like frogs, birds, and lizards. Also, there are no guarantees that the cat you bring into your home to keep rats away will help catch the rat within a specific time.
Apart from the hunting skills that cats use to remove rats, the scent of a cat will also make rats stay away from your home. Rats have a well-developed sense of smell and can easily pick up slight scents. With this, they can sense the presence of a cat in a particular area and stay as far as possible away from it. This survival instinct of rats will send them packing.
But for this to work the way you want it to, you need to find a cat that displays typical hunting behavior. Naturally, cats do have hunting instincts and the urge to catch rats. But this only gets triggered when the right environment is in place or the cats are encouraged to do so.
If you want a cat with a good hunting instinct, the first thing you need to do is to make inquiries as to whether the mother of the kitten was a good hunter or not. Cats learn the required hunting skills from their mother. If you want the cat you will be introducing into your home to be a good hunter, it will need to learn these hunting skills from its mother.
Are cats good at keeping rats away?
When it comes to removing rats from homes, the use of cats in hunting these rodents is one of the best natural ways of getting that done. Cats and rats are natural enemies; hence cats are good at keeping rats away. The only issue with keeping cats to remove rats from your home is that there is a high probability of it being prone to catching other non-target animals like frogs, birds, and lizards. Also, there are no guarantees that the cat you bring into your home to keep rats away will help catch the rat within a specific time.
Apart from the hunting skills that cats use to remove rats, the scent of a cat will also make rats stay away from your home. Rats have a well-developed sense of smell and can easily pick up slight scents. With this, they can sense the presence of a cat in a particular area and stay as far as possible away from it. This survival instinct of rats will send them packing.
But for this to work the way you want it to, you need to find a cat that displays typical hunting behavior. Naturally, cats do have hunting instincts and the urge to catch rats. But this only gets triggered when the right environment is in place or the cats are encouraged to do so.
If you want a cat with a good hunting instinct, the first thing you need to do is to make inquiries as to whether the mother of the kitten was a good hunter or not. Cats learn the required hunting skills from their mother. If you want the cat you will be introducing into your home to be a good hunter, it will need to learn these hunting skills from its mother.
