Brown County, Green Bay Rat Control Situation:
David, We have had rat problems on and off for two years. We've caught more than 20 rats in our attic. Several maintenance men, exterminators, roofers and a general contractor have inspected our house. We've removed bushes, trimmed trees, covered vents on the roof, put covers on the bottoms of the gutter downspouts. We have a hole in our house wall by our sink where they have chewed and chewed. We calledyour Wildlife guy in Green Bay. He was wonderful and spent an hour or two on our house and didn't even charge us. But he can not find where the rats are coming in. NO ONE has been able to find out where our rats are coming into the attic. Everyone says it's not our roof; but I don't know that. Angel said he'd come back because he has another theory about rats going through the sewer and up the pipes. He's coming back on Wednesday. My problem is what will I do if Angel comes and says he still can't find anything? We are literally trapped in our house. We can't sell it and we don't want to live here. I read the horrors about rats on the internet and I feel totally hopeless. Apparently there are no government agencies that can/ will help. What can we do? We're 72 years old and planned to live here for the rest of our lives. You can't imagine the psychological stress we're under. Do you have any suggestions?
Hi David, I have a rat or rats in my attic and I need your help. I have an old house that i could not possibly seal up. There is just no way because of inaccessible crawl spaces,etc. I have tried the large glue traps but he seems to go around them now. I will try the Victor snap traps but I think I am dealing with a very smart rat. Should I bait the trap first and not set it so it gets comfortable eating PB off the trap? Also do the expensive electronic repellants work at all. Tractor Supply sells one for $50. Please help me. I'm losing too much sleep!
I found what I thought was rat poop in a closet. My exterminator said I had to insulate the entire attic with their special insulation that kills all creatures. There were no signs if entry to that area. After he left I moved a box and found a large Palmetto bug which moved very slowly. I killed it and now wonder if the black things are eggs or feces. No stains or smell was in the area. Please help!
Green Bay Rat Control Tip of The Week
Using Exclusion Funnels To Get Rid Of Rats Without Killing Them
Rats are probably the second most common species of rodent to be found in our towns and cities after rats, and like their larger relations, they can also often find their way into many different areas of the domestic property. Because rats can carry diseases, and can also transmit them by soiling food and water sources, it is natural to want to get rid of them as soon as possible. Exclusion funnels are one approach that can be used to try and get rid of rats from your home.
How Do The Exclusion Funnels Work?
Ultimately, the funnels are designed so that the rats can easily get in through the wide end of the funnel, and can then push themselves out of the narrow end of the funnel when they are leaving a particular area of your property. However, when they try to get back in the narrow end of the funnel the entrance is too small and cannot be prized open, meaning the rats are not able to get back into the area where they are causing the problem. The key aspect with exclusion funnels is that the rats really do need to be contained in one area of the home.
Preparation Work To Install Your Exclusion Funnels
The first step before you install any exclusion funnels in your property is to carry out a detailed search of where they are active, and then to identify all of the holes the rats are using to get in and out of that area. The reason for this is that you need to be able to deal with each entry point the rats may use so that when you install the funnels, they cannot simply come back in through another entry point. While carrying out this work, it is usually a wise precaution to wear long sleeved clothing and gloves, along with a breathing mask and goggles to protect yourself from any disease transmission.
Where To Place Your Exclusion Funnels
It is usually best to only place one or two exclusion funnels, and then seal the remaining access points that you can find in the area where the rats are nesting. When choosing which entry points to install your exclusion funnels, the best options are usually those that have the heaviest traffic, and should be indicated by a greater buildup of rat droppings and urine stains.
Monitoring The Rat Activity In Your Home
Once you have installed the exclusion funnels, the next step is to monitor the area to see how effective the funnels have been. In some cases, this part of the work can actually prove to be quite trial and error, as the rats will often have other secret entry points that you may not have found on your first search of the area. In this instance you will then have to search the area again, and try and find the other access point the rats are using to get in and out.
The Challenges Of Using Exclusion Funnels To Deal With Rats
One of the key benefits of using exclusion funnels to deal with rats is that it doesn?t kill the animals so you don?t have to dispose of any carcasses. However, this also means that the rats can try and find other ways to get into your home, which means it can take longer to deal with them than if you were to use lethal means to deal with a rat infestation. The other issue with using exclusion funnels for such small animals is that because of their size, it is very difficult and detailed work to actually find all of the holes they are using to get in and out.
