Kent County, Grand Rapids Rat Control Situation:
My name in Nia, I have a horrible mouse and rat problem under my outside deck. I have called a local company and they put down bait traps. Every month they check them and all the bait is gone. I looked out the back window at night and see the mice ru Ning around from under deck into garage and along the sides of the house. I am soooooo scared one will get in the house. I hope it's not already. Please call me and direct me as to what I should do next. My husband acts as if he thinks it's not a big deal. Help me please.
Hi David, just been looking at your website. I have found a run into my compost bin and also in the 1/2 foot wide gravel soak away around my house this week. I obviously now need to get rid of the source of food, i.e. the compost bin and remove any shelter, so my mission is a good old tidy up in the back garden this weekend. However tonight i was kept awake by scratching in the house, gotta say freaked me out a little. I have already put poison down in a bait box this week which is already all gone!! So do i continue baiting or shall i trap them? Am i right in thinking that the poison will try them out so even if they die in the wall they wont smell or will they go seek water and hopefully die outside!!!! wishful thinking on my part i guess!! I just don't want stinking rats rotting in the walls! Anyways hope you can help, Kind regards Hayley in Grand Rapids
Grand Rapids Rat Control Tip of The Week
Are Mice or Rats Easier to Trap?
Intelligence:
Mice can often be much easier to trap because they are naturally curious creatures. It often takes just one or two days to capture a mouse after setting up a mousetrap. If you're having difficulty trapping a mouse you could consider moving it to a different location. Rats can be extremely intelligent and they communicate with each other meaning that any new objects will often bring about suspicion.
Reproduction:
Rats often reproduce at a much faster rate and this can make it difficult to control a rat problem if it's been going on for a long time. Most mice have around eight litters per year with around 5 to 6 pups in each litter. Rats can have between 6 to 12 pups in their litter.
Diet:
Rats can often be ravenous eaters and often require meat or a more substantial food source in order to remain satisfied. This can often make rats very difficult to trap because they can be so fussy about their food.
Size:
Rats have a definite size advantage over mice and this often means using much larger traps and some extra measures when it comes to keeping them in a trap. Because of the extra costs of these larger traps and the need to be more careful with where you set them, the requirements to trap a rat can be considerably higher than what it takes to trap the average mouse. Most rats can reach a length of between 7-10 inches and weigh up to a pound whereas the typical house mouse maxes out around 8 inches including its tail.
Tracking:
It's often easier to track rats because they leave larger footprints and they can cause a bit more destruction with their added size and strength. This can make finding rats throughout your home a bit easier.
