Kings County, New York City Rat Control Situation:
Hi, I found your site very informative and helpful. I live in a ground floor duplex in New York City and we have had a rat problem in between our two floors since last August. The management company has sent an exterminator out several times-- to remove carcasses from the ceiling, place rodenticide in the ceiling, and fill any holes outside the apartment building. The problem is still going on almost a year later and we can't seem to figure out how they are getting in.
There is definitely less scratching and scurrying now compared to a few months ago, but the smell is consistently unbearable as something dies in the ceiling every few weeks to the point that I am ready to just move out. I have asked the management company to take a more proactive approach to the problem rather than reactive when I call and complain, perhaps gut the ceiling to expose the problem area, but they don't seem willing to do it. I can imagine there are a lot of droppings and urine in addition to at least 3-4 dead carcasses. Would the smell disappate if no more rats could get in (i.e. if we found and closed the access points), or is that something that will just continue to fester?
I am trying to make a case to the management that it is necessary for them to clean all the droppings and carcasses to restore the apartment to a sanitary environment. I noticed on your site you mentioned that rats can smell the droppings and urine of other rats, indicating the area is a safe habitat. I also think opening the ceiling might expose the access points. Apparently my unit is the only one of 47 in the building with a reported rat problem. Do you have any suggestions? Best regards, Alexandra
My response: Sounds like a very tough case. The entry holes into the building, or at least, the apartment, must be found and sealed! Check behind the oven, for example. The odor will disappear as soon as all rats are gone and any biomass dries up.
Thanks for the response! I got them to remove the entire ceiling and they said they removed some carcasses and closed a bunch of holes inside. I was on a business trip the past week and will see the result tonight. Fingers crossed the problem is resolved!
New York City Rat Control Tip of The Week
What Are The Best Baits To Use To Trap A Rat?
If you have the right kind of bait in place, trapping rats becomes relatively easy. These animals are naturally curious and become fearless when they see eye-catching foods. To remove them from your home, all you have to do is take advantage of this and trap as many rats as you can.
Are you looking for the best bait ideas that will help you trap all the rats in your house? Right here, we will be sharing some for you. But first, there is a particular thing you need to put in place if you want this to be effective. The first thing you need to do is to seal up every possible entry hole into your house to prevent more rats from gaining entrance. Once that is done, you can then go ahead to trap the rats in your house.
When it comes to rat baits, peanut butter is one of the best. This particular bait attracts rats more than any other type of bait. Apart from having a strong smell, it is easy to set on traps that you intend to use to capture the rats.
Other types of baits include pineapple, chocolate, bacon, whole nuts, berries, dried fruit, gumdrops, and many more. Each of these baits will help you to achieve exactly what you want without putting you through the stress of having to replace them over and over again just to help attract rats.
Having realized this, all you have to do is get one of these baits and place it on the trap in a manner that the rats passing will be able to see it and will want to have it.
