Baltimore City County, Baltimore Rat Control Situation:
Hi There. I just saw your website.... and i'm wondering if you wouldnt mind answering a couple questions for me. We live in Baltimore... We had a rat come in through our dryer vent (we've since had it replaced with one with a flap) and it made a little "home" in the laundry room. anyhow...that one was "caught" and disposed of. Being afraid there may be others in teh house....I put out some traps. My question is....one trap went off the other day...well i noticed it this morning...I didnt hear it or anything. Anyhow...the trap went off and the peanut butter was "flat" but showed no signs of "gnawing" or teeth in the PB that was remaining. The trap was set behind our hall stand and the stand may have been pushed into it by accident. Do you know if this would cause th rat trap to go off? or would the "trigger" have to be touched? Also, would there be "teeth" marks in the PB if it WAS a rat? Oh and the reason I wondered is that I found 4 droppings under the couch the other day (the other rat was disposed of about a week or so ago) and the droppings were brown. Do you know if the droppings woudl still be brown after a week as I wonder if it went under the couch and then back into the laundry room, which is just off the living room. And wonder if those droppings are "old". I have found NO other droppings to date. I'm guessing they would drop wherever they go vs just in a nest right? Thanks so much in advance!!!
Baltimore Rat Control Tip of The Week
Will A Rat Bite A Sleeping Baby?
Infections Rats Can Spread:
The risk of a severe infection from a rat is relatively low and if you happen to notice a wound that could be inflicted by a rat, regularly wash it and keep it dry. Some of the main concerns for infection include rat pox and rat-bite fever. The saliva from some rat species can also contain a series of serious diseases like hantavirus and leptospirosis. A bite from a rodent can also make humans more susceptible to tendinitis. Rats are also known to carry rabies so it is important to consider this as a potential threat as well.
The Appearance Of A Rat Bite:
Rat bites are usually a small and single wound that can also have multiple abrasions where the rat may have walked. It is fairly common for bleeding to occur with these types of bites. The bite will eventually lead to ongoing redness and swelling and depending on the depth of the wound, could possibly generate some pus.
Causes For Concern:
If you happen to notice a small bite, you need to consider watching for symptoms including muscle aches, vomiting, fever, rash, and joint pain. If you find that your baby is extremely fussy, this can be an issue and a cause for concern when you notice the look of a rat bite. A fever can also be an equally concerning factor if you know you have rats in the house.
Rats Will Go To Any Area They Think Has Food:
Rats don't care if your baby is sleeping, they will check out the area and look for signs of food. Making sure that you can prepare your child's room and rid it of rats can be crucial to preventing the chance a rat could infect them or bite them.