Montgomery County, Philadelphia Rat Control Situation:
Hi, I have read your website and am hopeful you can provide me with some direction. I seem to have rats around my house. I see their holes along the side of house (under the front windows, not far from my porch). I don't see any evidence of them being under the porch, only holes along the sidewalk and under the window. Problem is I don't have any food for them. A year ago I paid to have someone come out. He put down poison. Now they are back. I have tried on my own to kill them with poison and gas flares, but I still see small holes. Is there anything I can do before they get into my house? This is a brand new house. I lay awake at night afraid they are going to get in. I am scared to death, literally. Is there something I put down? plant ? something? Please please advise. Warm regards, Lisa - Gone crazy. Be back soon.
That sounds more like vole (field mouse) activity. Rats don't really dig holes.
Thank you for responding. Do you have a website so I can determine how I located you. I think you might be right. I have done some preliminary research on the internet and I do have soft squishy spots in my lawn. One the rain has gone I will go and check if these are holes. Also, I lost most of my tulips I planted.
Contact A Wildlife Pro for excellent wild animal control, wildlife trappers, and rodent removal in Philadelphia.
Hi David, I live out in Bryn Mawr, PA and I need a trustworthy service to come to my home and help me with a living creature, I think it's a rat, in my attic. I have been speaking with many services and they all sound like they all want tons of MONEY to deal with this. I am very skeptical and need honest advice. Can you refer me to the right source, and someone who is not a THIEF and simply wants to charge a reasonable professional for fee for servicing my home. Thanks, Fern
Philadelphia Rat Control Tip of The Week
Can A Rat Have Rabies?
Rats have powerful bites:
Rats can have very powerful bites and are capable of damaging the skin quickly. A rat can bite through cinderblocks to get into an area if it needs to. Rats could bite through clothing or manage to break the skin even unintentionally with a very quick bite. Handling rats with care or using heavy gloves is recommended if you have to remove one or relocate it. It is ultimately best if you avoid handling rats whenever possible.
Many people are bitten each year with low rates of infection:
Rats bite over 50,000 people in the USA each year. Rabies vaccine shots are very rarely delivered in these cases and the risk for other types of diseases that rats carry can be far greater. Going to see a doctor about a rat bite can be wise if you are starting to feel some of the secondary symptoms or it looks infected.
Rats do spread disease:
Rats do spread a series of diseases including rat-bite fever. It can be transmitted through a bite or through pets. Rabies can be a deadly disease but most of the diseases that rats pass on are only able to cause the chance for fever and infection which carry lower rates of mortality.
Other animals can be much riskier to receive bites from:
If you are bitten by other animals like raccoons, coyotes, woodchucks, or skunks, this will give you a much riskier chance of receiving something like rabies. When bitten by a rat, you should be concerned but you may not have to run to get the bite checked out with the same urgency.
The main theory of low rabies cases:
A rat would have to survive a bite from a predator in order to become a carrier of rabies. As coyotes and larger animals will be likely to kill a rat in an attack, this leads to the chance of rats not being able to spread rabies at all.
