Charleston County, Charleston Rat Control Situation:
Hey David, how do I get rats/mice out of a single wide trailer home? There is maybe 4 inches of space between the ceiling and roof. There is scratching sounds in the walls, and pee stains in the ceiling tiles. There's no way to get into the ceiling. Will I need to gut the ceiling tiles to set traps? There is also a tree that hangs over the trailer house. I heard that rats can use trees to get on the roof, is that true? My girlfriend wants a humane way to remove the rats/mice but I have no way to set cages in her house because there is no attic. Any suggestions?? Thank you for your time and your website is very helpful.
I just read your article about how to remove rat in the attic. The company I talked to told me he has to suck all insulation in the attic out to get rid all the babies, disinfected the attic & spray the new insulation. All this will cost several thousand dollars, does it sound right to you?
We have found a dead rat on our garden. Can you come and take it way for us? Do you charge? Can we take it to the local refuge centre in Charleston? We don't know what to do?
Hi David, After reading your excellent article, I wrote you a long Email and it didn't go through so this is really a test. I've tried numerous ways to get rid of rats in my house i.e., 1. Attack Wave, 2. traps with peanut butter and beef sticks or both, 3. Glue traps. 4. Electronic zapper etc., and the only thing that worked for a while were the Victor traps with peanut butter and beef sticks. Lately, nothing seems to work and I thought I'd try to get some new ideas from you. I read your comment about peppermint oil on the Victor traps but I wasn't sure whether you were being facetious about your having success with this method. Were you?
Charleston Rat Control Tip of The Week
Are Mice or Rats Easier to Trap?
Intelligence:
Mice can often be much easier to trap because they are naturally curious creatures. It often takes just one or two days to capture a mouse after setting up a mousetrap. If you're having difficulty trapping a mouse you could consider moving it to a different location. Rats can be extremely intelligent and they communicate with each other meaning that any new objects will often bring about suspicion.
Reproduction:
Rats often reproduce at a much faster rate and this can make it difficult to control a rat problem if it's been going on for a long time. Most mice have around eight litters per year with around 5 to 6 pups in each litter. Rats can have between 6 to 12 pups in their litter.
Diet:
Rats can often be ravenous eaters and often require meat or a more substantial food source in order to remain satisfied. This can often make rats very difficult to trap because they can be so fussy about their food.
Size:
Rats have a definite size advantage over mice and this often means using much larger traps and some extra measures when it comes to keeping them in a trap. Because of the extra costs of these larger traps and the need to be more careful with where you set them, the requirements to trap a rat can be considerably higher than what it takes to trap the average mouse. Most rats can reach a length of between 7-10 inches and weigh up to a pound whereas the typical house mouse maxes out around 8 inches including its tail.
Tracking:
It's often easier to track rats because they leave larger footprints and they can cause a bit more destruction with their added size and strength. This can make finding rats throughout your home a bit easier.
