Albemarle County, Charlottesville Rat Control Situation:
Hi David, My name is Nancy my family and I live in Charlottesville Va. and we have had a rat problem in our house. We hired a company for rat removal and got rid of the rat problem for now. However the rat(s) were living in the ceiling in the basement laundry room. There is feces in the ceiling and the removal control recommended we pull down the ceiling which is just thin wood paneling, in order to remove the feces, and take away a place for them to hide in the future. After reading your website we are concerned about having my husband do this work. I'm pregnant an we have a small child in the house as well and don't want to be stirring up potential illness or problems. Also there are a lot of electrical conduits attached to the ceiling which we are concerned about. Do you think we can do this ourselves, or do you think we should hire a professional if you recommend a pro, how do we find someone to do this work? Everyone we've found just seem to be about removal of the rats, not clean up.
Dear David- Help! Need man. However, I am a single gal of retired age -semi rural. I am about to use a cylindrical attachment for drill to cut a 2 " drywall plug out of bathroom wall. This bath was added on. The noise does not always come from the same "section" so I am about to guess and go along the wall avoiding studs and taking plugs out (under counters) until I get to him/her. Then I will put a live rodent trap up to the hole and hopefully remove it that way before it dies. Question: Does this approach make sense? If I wait for a man to come help I fear it will die in the wall.
Dear David, We had heavy rain this past spring in the Charlottesville Virginia area ( so much for the drought) and there was a huge exodus of rats and mice into all of our homes. It was so widespread that traps were sold out in a 50 mile radius. Recently I pulled the bottom cushions of a sleeper coach up to turn them and discovered large clay colored dropping ( it was almost the size of rabbit food pellets) all over the back part of the seat area. Then a mouse or rat ran out a few days later. I believe it was in the mattress for some time. They also came up from a heating vent in a little used room. I am concerned about using the heat since they are under my house in the crawl space. What kind of company could I call to remove and dispose of the mattress safely? Would I be able to use a fabric safe disinfectant to save the couch and then replace the mattress? It is a very expensive couch that I wish to keep. I had my ducts cleaned a few years ago and I wonder if that loosened them and made it easy for the rats to get in.Thank you
Charlottesville Rat Control Tip of The Week
how Can I Modify My Property To Keep Rat Populations Down?
This modification initially should include house inspection to comprehend what sort of changes that the house essentially needs.
One basic strategy is to diminish the access of rats to foods and get a new place for their habitat. Automatic doors, for example, are a perfect passage that will close quickly once everyone has gone through. It won't leave any hole that can invite the rats to come. Rats are clever because they can detect the holes, even the tiniest ones in pipes. As a result, it is easy for them to get to the divider and use it as a safe house. It is recommended to move plants and wires far from your buildings because rats can use them to climb up inside your home.
Sewers are likewise the ideal entryway for these rats to get inside the house. This is why the rat-proofing plan has to come up when you want to build a home or renovate a house.
Traps can likewise be set since it is by a long shot, the best method to catch rats - as rats can run quickly and effectively escape, it might be difficult for humans to find them utilizing their uncovered hands. Typically, catching is perfect for businesses working with large spaces and holes that might not be distinguishable.
Another modification is to try putting away foods appropriately inside containers that are rat-proof. Garbage should be properly sealed and shut because it may attract rats. When you store garbage in a can, ensure that the cover is tight enough.
Keeping up regular maintenance of the building won't allow any breaks and holes to appear. Great fixes are essential because rats can effectively fit a coin size gap and eat the foods inside your home.