Broward County, Fort Lauderdale Rat Control Situation:
The past month or so we hear noises over the kitchen table in the west end of the house that starts around dark and is all night. When I go to bed around two or three in the morning there are still noises. It sounds like the animal is trying to crack a pecan on the floor beams in the attic. The dining room, kitchen used to be the garage . A breezeway was added and a huge double garage added from the 'now' kitchen back door. My husband has trapped large 'rats' in the garage, NOT mice. We do have squirrels but my husband has kept them out of the pecan trees by sprinkling crushed red pepper around the trees. They do run the utitity lines. Our house has different roof angles. The orginal house roof is higher than the roof where the the dining room and kitchen is now. It is sealed off from the garage and the breezeway. The ceiling over the kitchen table is dropped about 10 inches. If the animal is coming in there it is going about 15ft to where the noise is coming from. Due to the economy we can not afford hundreds of dollars to an exterminator so any suggestions would be appreciated.
My response: You've got to find out how the rats are getting in, and seal those areas shut with steel.
Hi, We live in the newest housing area in Boca Raton Florida. Because they are turning over the soil next door and down the street, we are getting mice and some larger animals IN the HOUSE. They are coming in thru the garage and up the dryer vent into the second floor of our home. The home is over the garage. We noticed rat and animal traps by the garages but NO ONE has been around to maintain them recently. Please can you check on the traps outside and what can you suggest we do for the inside of our home. It is a real discomfort. Thanking you in advance for assisting us in this important matter. Suzanne
Fort Lauderdale Rat Control Tip of The Week
The Proper Way To Clean Rat Feces Out Of Your Attic
If you already know the dangers of having rat feces in your attic and coming in contact with it, you are most likely going to get scared and confused about how to clean it. When it comes to cleaning rat feces, you can't afford to do it the wrong way. Refusal to follow the due process might cost you more of what you are trying to prevent.
Since rat feces is a major carrier of bacteria and other disease-causing organisms, the first thing you need to do when planning to clean out the feces from your attic is to protect yourself appropriately. To do this, you need to start by ventilating your attic for as long as possible before entering. By doing this, you are simply expelling the contaminated air and allowing fresh air to go in. This protects you from breathing air that is contaminated with rat feces while in the attic. Also, you need to have equipment such as a facial mask, gloves, plastic bags, and a strong disinfectant in place before going ahead to clean your attic.
Just like every other part of your home, cleaning your attic is not that difficult. Provided you have all the supplies listed above, you will find it quite easy to do. To start, wear your facial mask and gloves properly and carefully pack the feces into the plastic bag. After that, dispose of the plastic bag safely.
When you are done with that, you need to soak the floor of your attic with a disinfectant and then scrub the floor until all the remaining feces are removed. Leave the disinfectant on the floor for 10 minutes to allow it to kill all the pathogens and bacteria deposited by the rat. After doing all this, your attic will be completely pathogen and bacteria-free.
If you find any of these is difficult to do, you can hire a professional to help you out with the cleaning.
