Cuyahoga County, Cleveland Rat Control Situation:
David, Thanks for the informative site. We live on the meadow, near Cleveland, Ohio. We have rats that have done significant damage to our cars. Our house is well sealed, and have had none inside the house that we are aware of. Below the house we have about 20 traps set with peanut butter, but after 5 days, have not caught a single rat. Some traps have no bait left, a couple have been tripped, but no rats were caught. I understand poison is not a good choice. How do we stop them from damaging our cars? Interestingly, we've lived here for 9 years and never had a problem before this year, can't figure out what changed. Thanks for any advice. Best, Gerry
Hello. I have rodents in the attic/under gutter. When can I have someone come out to remove them and how much is it? Other option is trying to remove them ourselves. Were do we find a trap? We have squirrels entering our attic through the exhaust fan. Although a screen was placed over the fan about six months ago, the squirrels rendered that ineffective. What can we do?! I thought I'd let you know that the device I used worked perfectly, and the squirrels exited the attic, and so far, have not gotten back in. I'm going to give it another day or so, and seal the hole and remove the 'cage'. It was much preferable to climbing a ladder daily to release trapped rats. Mitch
Would appreciate your professional advice on: 1) removal and installation of attic insulation; a local pest control company partially removed, sanitized and installed new insulation around 6 years ago but problem persisted; we cannot get rid of bird mites or rat mites in the house; sent specimen to pest control lab who identified pest as bird mites; we've had rats in the attic as well; can removal and installation of new attic insulation solve the problem? can you recommend a company in Cleveland OH to do this? 2) gophers, who have taken over the ravine behind the house; how does one control these pests? gardener has used poison but they keep coming back & multiplying. Thanks for any assistance you may offer.
Cleveland Rat Control Tip of The Week
How Deep Do Rats Dig Holes Or Burrow Under Houses?
Asides from being a very smart animal with a high sense of adaptability, rats are keen diggers. With their dexterous paws and strong teeth, they can chew through plastic, wood, and even aluminum. This clearly shows how much of a good digger these rodents are. Also, if you have holes around your house, these rodents might be responsible for creating them.
Maybe you have rats digging holes or burrows under your house and you have always wanted to know how deep these holes are. The fact is these excellent diggers can dig holes as long as 3 feet and as deep as 18 inches. This digging skill allows them to create deep burrows and holes under your home
Due to their smart nature, rats don't just dig burrows and holes blindly. They dig with plans and prepare for the worst-case scenario by creating one or two exit points apart from the entry hole, in case they are attacked by a predator. Therefore, if you see a rat hole or burrow around your house, you must look around to find its exit hole. Unlike the entry hole which is usually clean and free from dirt, rats usually use thatches of grass to conceal their exit holes. This simply means you have to look around carefully to find it.
While examining these holes and burrows, you need to be very careful and avoid moving too close to it. Snakes or any other harmful animal could also be inhibiting the hole. If you have to dig in the hole or make close contact, make sure you are well protected.