Cook County, Chicago Rat Control Situation:
David, I have had a mice problem in my attic and basement for some time and this season it has been very bad. We have had exterminators come in and put poison down but we keep hearing them in the attic. We need to find someone who can perform the complete service as you describe on your website. I know you are in Fla and I am in Chicago, but do you know of someone who can help us? I live in Aurora, IL near Chicago, and we have a problem with some kind of critter. We have set spring traps, laid out poison bait and the only thing that they have done is eat the bait, but nothing has died yet. I don't know what they are, but I have seen the poop and it resembles a rat or squirrel, they chew around the clock and it's hard to scare them off from chewing once they begin, no matter how much we jump up and down on the floor. We would like to know if you service this area, and if not can you recommend anyone who does. We really need someone who will erradicate whatever we have, it appears that there are a few of them by now, because we can hear them in a couple different areas at a time. I look forward to hearing from you asap. Thank you. Denise
I've got a rental property (a side by side duplex) in Chicago Illinois, and currently have a problem with rats in the eaves and attic. It's a two story brick building, and the squirrels have been noted to be entering and exiting through vented openings between the roof and 2nd floor of the building. The tenant has reported hearing them in the walls immediately behind the vents, as well as potentially in the attic ceiling (it's a finished attic.) I've read enough to know that female rats often use attics as nesting places to have and raise their babies, and that is likely the issue we have here. Would it be possible to have someone come to the property and check on this situation? Thanks, Wick
Chicago Rat Control Tip of The Week
What Is The Natural Diet Of The Black Rat And Norway Rat?
Black Rat
The black rat (in many cases called the ship rat) has a smooth and incredibly long tail that is longer than its head and body. Romans were the ones who brought this species to Britain. The color of the black rat fluctuates from dark to grey-brown. When compared with brown rats, these creatures have little bodies and bigger ears and eyes. Black rats are amazing climbers. They are fit for running along phone wires, utilizing their tails to adjust while moving. The species is additionally called 'rooftop rat' due to building their homes high in rooftop spaces.
Diet
Black rats are viewed as omnivores and eat a wide scope of foods, including seeds, natural products, stems, leaves, fungi, and an assortment of invertebrates and vertebrates. They are generalists, and as a result, not picky on their food choice, which is demonstrated by their propensity to benefit from any meal given to cows, pigs, chickens, felines, and dogs.
Norway Rat
The main thing to know is that, regardless of the name, the Norway rat isn't really from Norway. It is believed that the name originated from a man named John Berkenhout, a British naturalist, who concluded that the brown rats had migrated to the UK from Norway. Present-day researchers think that this type of rat actually originates from China. They showed up in the British Isles most likely transported via ships and goods.
When they got to the UK, be that as it may, they immediately multiplied and set up for business there. That is the reason they are otherwise called the common rat, the road rat, the sewer rat, or the brown-colored rat.
Diet
Norway rats will eat pretty much anything. If they get inside, they'll search in your kitchen cupboards and pantries. Specifically, the rats are looking for meat and even fish; however, they will also feast cheerfully on dry dog food. When they discover the food, they will eat and eat, glutting themselves on what they find, and if they smell food, they'll chew through plastic, lead pipes, wood, and anything else to get there.
