Dane County, Madison Rat Control Situation:
Hi my name is Sabrina. I own a beautiful home in Madison WI. I have an area in my garage where the drywall was removed near my water heater. I was sound asleep tonight and woke up to this really loud scratching noise above my bed. I'm a total scaredy cat and I have no idea what to do. Last week I was asleep and the doorbell kept going off but no one there then the actual doorbell box Above the closest started buzzing so loud And I climbed on the chair and it smelt like it was burning I called the fire dept and thank god they disconnected it. It was burning. Do you think this may be a big critter it sounds so big and I'm so scared. Please help me.
Hello, I own a two flat brick building. I live on the first floor. I have set traps and attempted to close up all holes in my home. However I heard some scratching in my ceiling and in the walls. What can I do that is not so expensive.
We just recently got a rat or mouse in the house and we assumed it upstairs since we heard scratching and walking. We set traps and we seemed to be waiting long for it to finally work. However, we realized it wasn't upstairs but between the downstairs ceiling and upstairs floor. It's hard to put a trap between the floor. We are confused on what to do. Some advice on how to solve the problem would be great.
I have been searching the internet for clues on my husband memory and confusion issues. I came across your article. Almost two yeas ago he cleaned out a shed that had been invaded by rats and squirrels, he did wear a mask for some of the time but once he got used to the smell he did not use it any more. Now he shows sign of dementia or allzimers. I have trouble with that as I can't get out of my mind the feeling that it is related to that filthy building. The smell was over powering even from standing outside of the door. Could there be a link? Thanks
Madison Rat Control Tip of The Week
How Far And High Can A Rat Jump?
Jumping is a major part of many animals' survival instincts including rats. But in the case of these small rodents, they have a special way of using this particular survival instinct to their best advantage. One of the most common rats around, which is the brown rat, is known to be able to jump over four feet horizontally or in a downward slope and leap vertically to about 77 centimeters without hurting itself. This clearly shows how high rats can jump and how well they can suspend themselves in the air.
The jumping performance of rats depends mainly on their species because some rats are big while others have lighter bodies which tend to support agile movements. For instance, black rats with lean bodies are known to be able to leap over five feet. While brown rats with large body frames find it quite difficult to leap but do well at jumping downwards.
Another reason why some rats jump better than others is mainly because of their better survival instincts and hunting abilities. Rats in the wild are better at jumping than those in the suburban and urban areas. Therefore, you shouldn't expect the rats in your home to jump or leap that high.
Rats are naturally silent animals and will prefer to move around unnoticed. But in some cases, they make use of their jumping skills. One of the special cases in which they use their jumping skills is when they see a possible threat or a predator. They often use this to propel their speed and get away as soon as they can. Their speed and swift body movements are one of the ways they can stay alive and avoid been eaten by a predator.