Fulton County, Atlanta Rat Control Situation:
Hello, I ran across your article rats in the Attic online earlier today. I have some type of critter that moved in a couple of weeks ago. I thought it was a squirrel until I read your article that said squirrels are diurnal in nature. The thing in my attic is most active around 11pm, I can hear it move around a little bit and chewing on something-it sounds like a handsaw operating, and then again about 6am when it chews much more often and much louder. Is this symptomatic of a squirrel or could it be something else? You say rats live in the attic at night, but I don't even want to say the word rat. I live in Southeast Atlanta Georgia, so I'm not sure it's a flying squirrel, and it's definitely not big enough to be a raccoon or a opossum. Any help you could offer me would be very much appreciated. Thank you!
My response: Sounds like rat activity to me. Maybe you should have a wildlife expert come out and inspect your attic. You've got to find out how the rats are getting in, and seal those areas shut with steel.
Hi, I have a rat in my mini van and I can't get rid of it. I have tried traps - they didn't work. Poison - I think this rat thrives on it . I‘ve clean the van of any food and as it is a newish van there isn't anyway to get in. Help! Minnie
David, I live in Atlanta, not near you in Orlando, but I was looking over your photos of the rats. What are you using for bait on the snap traps or does it vary? Specifically dealing with roof rats and have you used traps outside? I'm fairly sure that I have most of the roof rats (sealed all points and it's been a while) but I feel like making sure by setting a few traps. Any hints would be greatly appreciated.
I bait the traps with a thin spread of peanut butter. But the location of the traps is 10x as important as the bait. Set the traps in areas of high rat activity.
Atlanta Rat Control Tip of The Week
Norway Rat Biology
The Norway rat is typically nocturnal. It is a good swimmer; however, unlike the related black rat, it is a poor climber. Norway rats burrow well, and regularly uncover broad tunnel systems.
Rats are equipped for creating ultrasonic vocalizations, both as grown-ups and babies. They may likewise transmit short, high frequency, socially-prompted vocalization during interaction with different rats or animals. This call most takes after a trilling sound but is undetectable to human ears. Rats can discernibly be heard through calls sounding like squeaks when they are in trouble.
These rats are omnivores. This implies they can eat both plants and animals. As predators, rats are opportunistic.
The Norway rat can breed consistently if the conditions are reasonable, and a female can deliver up to twelve litters in a year. The gestation period is just 21 days, and litters can number up to fourteen, albeit smaller litters are common. In this way, the rat population can increase rapidly. Rats have a lifespan of around three years, yet regularly live less than one year.
Norway rats live in enormous hierarchical groups, either in tunnels or subsurface places, such as sewers and basements. When food is hard to come by, the rats lower in the social order are the first to die. If a large portion of a rat populace is eliminated from a zone, the rest will expand their reproductive rate, and rapidly reestablish the old populace level. This makes it imperative to have a plan to get rid of the entire rat population on your property if an infestation occurs.
