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
What Materials Can Rats Chew Through?
A rat problem in the home can be a genuine headache for individuals to manage. Rats can pollute food supplies when they get into kitchens, and they can spread sicknesses to people through bites if they feel threatened. They can destroy furniture and chew through most materials in the house. Rats can bite through nearly anything, and they reproduce quickly within short time frames. This implies one pregnant rat can easily lead to numerous rats. This isn't acceptable because all of the potential health hazards associated with rats, and the harm they can cause to property and belongings can cost you a lot of time and cash.
One of the most striking facts about a rat's teeth is the way their incisors grow constantly! Imagine having a couple of front teeth that keep growing long and strong all through your lifetime. Rats need to chew through a wide range of materials to wear their teeth out. Otherwise, their teeth will grow too long, making it impossible for them to eat or close their mouths, ultimately killing them. So, what exactly do they like to chew through?
Rats' Favorite Things To Chew
Rats chew constantly. This can be a frustrating discovery for a homeowner, particularly one who has exhausted all endeavors attempting to keep rats out. We've listed some of the most common and frequent items that rats like to chew on:- Wood
- Cement
- Plastic
- Brick
- Aluminum
- Lead
- Cinder Blocks
- Asbestos
Although rats can bite through some quite strong materials, there are still ways to block the rats from coming inside.
