Jefferson County, Louisville Rat Control Situation:
Good morning David. I came across your website and would like to ask you for some advice! I am currently dealing with mice in my ceiling/walls. They have not made it into my house itself but they are driving me nuts and will ultimately cause damage to my house at some point. I have an exterminator that comes to my house every 3 months and that has helped to prevent any mice within my home. The problem with them in my ceiling and wall began in December. I mentioned this to the exterminators and they baited my house... I guess to draw them out. It's been months now and they still are in my ceiling and getting worse... waking me up at night... I can hear them running around and squeaking... yuck. Drives me and my cat nuts to say the least... The big dilemma is that I have an old city row home... it has a flat roof and no attic or access via panel to the ceiling. The exterminators are lacking in their services... I have them coming out on Monday to get on my roof and look for holes etc... Can you provide me with some guidance on how to resolve this major issue... Can they put bait boxes on my roof to draw the mice out... or should I create an access panel to my ceiling so we can bait or set traps? HELP PLEASE! Thank you so very much!
My response: Never use bait boxes or ultrasonic sound machines. Niether help. Inspect the house and find out how the mice are getting inside. Seal up every single last entry/exit hole and gap with steel. Trap, properly trap on rat runways, ALL the mice, and remove them from the house. Clean up the attic space or home once they are all gone for good.
Thank you for responding. My main issue is how to get traps in my ceiling without an access panel? I have all finished ceilings and a flat roof... The exterminators are saying there is no way to get traps in my ceiling... I can inspect and seal all the holes and gaps but all that will do at this point it trap the mice inside my house... I dont know how we are supposed to draw them out of my ceiling and walls... They are not getting into my actual house... just ceiling and walls... Im really at a loss now.
Louisville Rat Control Tip of The Week
Tips On Removing A Rat Stuck In A Dumpster
If you have a rat stuck in your dumpster, please, don't forget that this is a scared creature that is now under a lot of pressure and fear for its life. Try not to additionally irritate it or mess around with it, as it might attack you, trying to protect itself. Rats carry illnesses which they can transfer directly through bites, scratches, or if their saliva drops on an open wound on your skin.
Place a lethal snap trap inside the dumpster. Accurately managing rats implies eradicating the vermin. You will need to do this as fast as possible as to not prolong the rat's suffering. Killing a rat with a deadly wooden snap trap is the most accommodating method of disposing of that rat. The rat will be frightened, so you might want to smear some peanut butter on this trap. Leave the scene, and return two or three hours later to check whether the problem is solved. If the rat was caught, use a fabric, towel, or gloves to place the carcass in a fixed plastic holder, pack or sack, which you will then be able to toss in a garbage sack. Most urban areas will permit you to discard rat remains in your garbage bin; however, you should first check your local laws.
You can also help the rat escape. You might not have any desire to kill the rat out of the blue, and would instead like to assist it with liberating itself to continue its life. The rat is stuck presumably in light of the fact that the dumpster isn't full enough, and it hasn't got anything to climb on. Toss in some more trash, or add a branch or something comparable for the rat to move up on. Stay away or leave the scene completely.
If all else fails, you can always call a wildlife removal expert.
