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
Is It Common For Rats To Bite Humans While They're Sleeping?
There have been many cases reported in which human beings have been bitten by rodents. People tend to be alarmed when seeing a rat, not just for being repulsive but for the notoriety they have. However, some rumors are just myths that are a bit exaggerated.
Any animal tends to behave aggressively if they feel threatened or in a dangerous situation. In the case of rodents, the behavior is the same. Most of the times they want to go unnoticed, but if they feel cornered they can bite in defense to escape.
Can Rats Bite People While They're Asleep?
It is a rare thing that a rat climbs to someone's bed and bites them. Generally, the occasions in which a rodent climbs a piece of furniture has to do with dirtiness. A messy bed with crumbs of food will attract a rodent.
In these situations, the animal does not normally attack the person. However, some rats sometimes bite kids when they sleep. These exceptions happen because these kids are in low hygiene conditions with crumbs of food on their hands and the smell of this food is an open invitation for rats and their instinct for feeding.
Rats And Infections
People that have been bitten by a rat usually say it is a very strong pain. It is known that their teeth can deeply penetrate the skin, whereby it is necessary to act and clean the wound quickly to prevent the spread of diseases that can be caused when their saliva enters in contact with the bloodstream.
Rodents are vectors in the transmission of many diseases due to the bacteria and viruses they carry. A messy and dirty house is sought after by rodents, due to the abundance of areas suitable for nests. For this reason, if you wish to prevent a rodent infestation, you should keep your house clean.
