Davidson County, Nashville Rat Control Situation:
David, Thank you for your site. Lots of great info there and very thorough. I had rats in my attic. Before I saw your site I called Orkin and they did a decent job with trapping and exclusion. It's hot in Nashville now so we have not had problems recently. Now it's time for cleanup. Wildlife Conrol quoted $4500. We can not and will not be paying that. A friend that does termite work mostly quoted $250. He proposes using his shop-vac to vaccum the droppings. I have ordered the Bac-azap for disinfecting, based on your recommendation and other reviews read online and he will also spray down the attic. Couple questions: I'm concerned about the use of the Shop-vac for the exhaust that will be broadcast while it's on. He says he will look for a Hepa filter, but in your opinion is this acceptable? Many Wildlife Control techs were in the attic many times over a month, without respirators, and to my knowledge no disease contracted (visibly). Is that enough to rule out potential hazards in using a Shop-vac? I'm told the level of droppings is "not that bad" and isolated to a couple areas. That may or may not help you. Second question is if spraying the enzyme will be sufficient, or if a fogger is required? I do have small children which is the concern, but I'm trying to remain reasonable and believe the drastic and expensive techniques proposed by some may be overkill (scare tactics?). Thanks again for your informative site, and thank you in advance for any advice.
I had a pet rat that went missing in early June of this year and just today we discovered it got stuck between my wall and dresser. It looks like a pancake. At first, I thought it was mold but then saw it's eyes and skeleton. I have no idea what to do and the thought of removing it myself is horrifying. How do I remove a rat the has decomposed this far and that is pretty much stuck to my wall and dresser?
Sunday morning woke up to find the rubber threshold to the front door was eaten away. Droppings about ¼ - 3/8" were found throughout the house. Looked like more than one with about 20 droppings. Spent Sunday replacing the threshold, put two TomCat baited traps by the front door and two TomCat baited traps in the house (by front door and next to refrigerator. Also, two mouse traps with peanut butter bait (the kind the mouse goes in and the door shuts behind it). Went to go to work today (Monday), new threshold eaten away, and only about 6 - 7 droppings in the house. All traps not touched. I have read sticky paper is a good way to catch rodents. Based off what I have stated above, is this a rat looking for a new food source to go back and tell his friends?
Hi David. Are you based in the Portland Metro area, or is that Wildlife Control? I have a listing that shows old rat black box traps and has about 12 bags of insulation that's been wrapped up for years. Buyer just had a home inspection and is asking for any and all rats found in the premises and in the crawl space to be removed, the bags removed, all the other contaminated insulation removed, vacuumed, fogged...and then new insulation laid. Would that be a job you can bid on, maybe Monday?
Nashville Rat Control Tip of The Week
How Can I Get A Rat Out Of My Car?
Clean Up Your Car:
When a rat no longer has access to the food inside your car it will no longer have a good place to nest, sleep, or find food. Rats always nest close by to where their food source is and if you have a large amount of garbage in your car or items that can be fed upon, they're much more likely to stick around.
Trim Back Foliage From Your Car:
When you notice branches that overhang your car it's possible that you can have problems with a number of uninvited guests. Trimming back the items around your car can be a crucial way that you can prevent pests like rats from having a direct line to get into the vehicle.
Close Up Your Car:
Make sure that you are closing up your car. If you have a window that is open, a sunroof that opens, or a door that doesn't quite close, a rat can make their way in quite quickly and easily. A rat only needs around half an inch to get into a space and even though it may not seem like there is that much room, a rat can make it into the area easily.
Remove Moisture And Damp Clothing From Your Vehicle:
If you have paper, damp clothing, or other items across your vehicle, they need to be removed quickly. Damp clothing can be an ongoing problem when it comes to attracting rats and keeping them in your car.
Set Down Some Traps:
A quick set trap that you place in your car in the evening or a metal pedal trap can be a great way to manage a rat problem in your car. Making sure that you can trap the rat in your vehicle can be crucial to building a better method of keeping rats out of your vehicle.
