Whatcom County, Bellingham Rat Control Situation:
Hello David, I found your website very interesting. It didn't answer all of my questions so maybe you can help me out. I live in a two-story row home in Bellingham WA that is attached to neighboring row homes on both sides. I renovated the house and moved in a few months ago. I have a cat that is an excellent mouser. She has proven herself in my last home but I have not seen evidence of her catching any mice here. In fact, I have not seen any evidence of mice here at all since I have moved in, although there was evidence prior to my renovations. For the past week I have been hearing a lot of scurrying sounds in the ceiling cavity between the first and second floors. It happens mostly at night, but sometimes during the day on the weekends. It could also be happening while I am away at work. The only way I could access this cavity would be by cutting holes in the ceiling from the first floor. For this reason I am tempted to try poisons instead of traps, but I know your website does not recommend this. My neighbors on both sides of me tell me that they have mice in their homes. They are not as fortunate as I to have a good cat. I am not worried about mice in my living spaces. If they do manage to get through the drywall my cat will take care of them in a very short time. I am worried about damage to my wiring in the ceiling, and my wife's peace of mind in regards to the scurrying sounds at night. I believe the mice are using my ceiling cavity as a highway to travel between my neighbors homes. I believe I have sealed up all of the openings on the exterior of my home. I cannot say the same for my neighbors. To make a long question short, what do you recommend?
I am desperate & concerned for my family.I just want the rat problem gone forever. How much would you charge to come out to my house & complete this step by step process to get rid of the rats once and for all. After reading your article, I am convinced my regular Bellingham pest control company cannot completely resolve my problem. They have sealed up obvious points of entry with metal screens, behind which they have placed scent deterrents. You say this is not effective. I would agree as the rats are gnawing on my roof, trying to break back in. My garden is large with natural food sources from plant seeds, but otherwise is clean. I do not leave pet food, garbage or other food sources available. The crawl spaces are clean. How can I keep rodents from wanting to break into my attic? The pest control company says that the scent left by the former residents of my attic is attracting the new rodents. It's their 'scent trail' to tell them where 'home' is. I understand their strong desire to find a place to live. I read that fake owls and scent deterrents do not work. I do not want to poison the animals. I had agreed to snap trap the ones that were in the attic but only because the service would not live trap them. What now?
Bellingham Rat Control Tip of The Week
How Can I Get Rid Of Rats Outside My House?
Having rats outside your house disturbing your peace is indeed a big deal. Apart from being a nuisance outside your house by creating burrows in your yard or lawn, it's just a matter of time before they find their way into your home. This simply means getting rid of the rats outside your house is as important as getting rid of those in your house.
Have you been looking for the best way to do this in order to keep your environment free from rats? Right here, we will be taking you through some of the most effective and humane ways to get rid of the rats outside your house.
1. Traps
The use of traps in getting rid of rats is a method many people are quite familiar with. To use this method, all you have to do is to buy a trap from a store, bait it, and set them around the places where the rats frequent the most. Before setting this trap, make sure your pets are locked up in a compartment or restricted from moving around your yard to avoid injuring your pets instead of the rats.
2. Smoke Bombs
If the rats have successfully created numerous burrows around your house, using smoke bombs is the best way to get rid of them. To use this particular removal method, all you have to do is release the smoke bombs into all of their burrows. It is very effective, but you need to avoid using it on burrows that are close to trees and other flammable structures in order to avoid fire hazards.
3. Use Dry Ice
This particular removal method is the best option if you are in an urban area. Dry ice is a solid that releases carbon dioxide when dropped into the burrows of rats. When the dry ice is released, the carbon dioxide anesthetizes the rats and kills them. This particular method is very quick and humane.
