Polk County, Des Moines Rat Control Situation:
Hi David, Great website! Thank you for providing that resource. I was hoping you might have a bit of advice for me. I looked but didn't see anything about dealing with rats that burrow in your backyard. We have a burrow that appears to be extensive (based on our scientific experiment of emptying all the water in a kiddie pool into the hole). It has been there in one shape or another since we moved into the home about a year ago. We have filled it with rocks, planted grass over it, covered it with large stones, nothing keeps the hole from reappearing. So far we have not seen any evidence of current habitation in our home but have an old house with a bad foundation and it doesn't seem impossible that rats could get in if they wanted to. We have been using a rat zapper baited with peanut butter out near the hole and where we think they would run for a week to no success. We don't leave it out during the day due to neighbors cats and a toddler. We know there are rats around because we see them from our windows in our neighbors bamboo patch every evening. We have been wary of hiring a pest control company based on the terrible stories you hear about them, but will use your list of referrals for wildlife control people. Just wondering if getting rid of the hole while it is outside is even feasible, something we should try on our own but just didnt think of the right strategy, or something a pro could handle. Thanks!!
Des Moines Rat Control Tip of The Week
How Do Wildlife Rehabilitators Deal With Rats?
Even though rats do cause a nuisance in homes, they also need to be treated humanely when indisposed. In a situation where you find a stray and injured rat in your home, the best thing you can do is to contact a wildlife rehabilitator to help evacuate the rat immediately. While waiting for the rehabilitator, you need to avoid any physical contact with the animal, as rats are often carriers of different kinds of pathogens and diseases.
Wildlife rehabilitators are licensed professionals that help to evacuate animals from people's home, treat them if they have health issues, and release them back into the wild. Unlike other animals, wildlife rehabilitators handle rats specially.
Since stray rats do find it very difficult to survive on their own if relocated into the wild immediately, the first thing wild rehabilitators do is to nurture the rats for days or weeks to ensure that they are in good health. To do this, the rats are introduced into a box filled with woodland debris to make them feel comfortable and are properly fed with good food. This nurturing process continues until the rats can survive on their own without the help of anyone.
After successfully nurturing them, the wildlife rehabilitator can then go ahead and release the rat back into the wild. The release of the rat into the wild is not just done indiscriminately. Wildlife rehabilitators look for areas with a possible place of shelter for the rat with an abundant source of food.
Wildlife rehabilitators make sure evacuated rats stand a chance of living. Therefore, don't hesitate to contact a wildlife rehabilitator if you have stray, injured rats in your home.
