Travis County, Austin Rat Control Situation:
David, My dilemma I have a walk up attic w/ a wooded floor, the roof does not have insulation neither do the walls of the attic. between the floor boards you can catch movement of the rats. There is a mother and her nest of young how many is not known. She come and goes through a broken pane in the glass. My fear is the how to retrieve the young and how will i clean up , sanitize the insulation under the floor. the rats roam across the entire attic floor. I realize that you must also catch the mother but how would we ever find the young w so much space to travel? I do have a standard cage set up now by the window pane. thank you Riley
Well, if you catch the mother rat by the window pane, then the young are going to die. And you're going to wind up with a big odor problem. To find the young, I sit in silence, sometimes for up to a half hour if necessary, until the young start chattering. Then if I can't crawl into the area, I cut open the wall/floor and get the young, and use them to catch the mom rat, and I get them all at once. Where in the Austin do you ive? My friend may be able to help you.
My neighbor Frank has been killing these rats because they're on his mango tree, he kills them with a bb gun...I tried of cleaning up my yard cuz they stink and lots flies on them....there is witness that live right behind him which she saw him shot them. I thought its illegal to kill these creatures. I have sent these to my landlord so she can see this..Thanks for your time...
My response: I don't know if it's illegal. I don't think so. Contact Texas Wildlife Commission. Tell this annoying neighbor to clean up his rat carcasses.
Austin Rat Control Tip of The Week
Tips On Removing A Rat Stuck In A Dumpster
If you have a rat stuck in your dumpster, please, don't forget that this is a scared creature that is now under a lot of pressure and fear for its life. Try not to additionally irritate it or mess around with it, as it might attack you, trying to protect itself. Rats carry illnesses which they can transfer directly through bites, scratches, or if their saliva drops on an open wound on your skin.
Place a lethal snap trap inside the dumpster. Accurately managing rats implies eradicating the vermin. You will need to do this as fast as possible as to not prolong the rat's suffering. Killing a rat with a deadly wooden snap trap is the most accommodating method of disposing of that rat. The rat will be frightened, so you might want to smear some peanut butter on this trap. Leave the scene, and return two or three hours later to check whether the problem is solved. If the rat was caught, use a fabric, towel, or gloves to place the carcass in a fixed plastic holder, pack or sack, which you will then be able to toss in a garbage sack. Most urban areas will permit you to discard rat remains in your garbage bin; however, you should first check your local laws.
You can also help the rat escape. You might not have any desire to kill the rat out of the blue, and would instead like to assist it with liberating itself to continue its life. The rat is stuck presumably in light of the fact that the dumpster isn't full enough, and it hasn't got anything to climb on. Toss in some more trash, or add a branch or something comparable for the rat to move up on. Stay away or leave the scene completely.
If all else fails, you can always call a wildlife removal expert.