Saint Lucy County, Port St. Lucie Rat Control Situation:
Hi there, I'm glad I found your website, its been pretty informative, and helpful in reassuring me a bit. Ok, so me and my boyfriend just moved into a rental house 2 months ago, and we've been hearing scuttling in the ceiling crawl space, and I've noticed when I turned on the oil heat, that the odor that comes out of the ducts with the heated air smells like dead rats and urine, and every time we had the oil heat on at night, I would wake up with a slight feeling of throat irritation and like my nasal passages hurt, but since the summer we haven't been running the oil, but I dread when winter comes... and the scuttling continues. Well I went up into the crawl space last night, after we had a talk with the property manager, and he assured us he would be out and take a look and fix it, he didn't, anyways, it was easier for me to crawl up, as my boyfriend is 6'3" and would be bent like a hairpin, I suited up as you suggested, latex gloves, full respirator, safety glasses, headlamp, camera and flashlight, even a shower cap to protect from gunk falling on my head. I found extensive evidence of rats or squirrels, poo, tunnels, chewed stuff etc.,. took loads of pics to show to the property manager. From what I've seen and smelt, I am thinking that this will cost the owner of the house a tidy sum to clean up, because I am sure this is very dangerous health-wise to live in, and this type of condition should not be allowed in a rental home or any home. This may sound like a dumb question, but I was wondering how do I convince the owner and property manager this needs to be cleaned up ASAP, professionally. Also how would the rat urine etc. get cleaned out of the ducts in an oil heated home? That seems like it would be tough to do properly and safely. Any advice or info you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Port St. Lucie Rat Control Tip of The Week
What To Do If A Rat Bites You
Recognize A Rat Bite:
They are usually a small and single puncture wound with the chance for a small number of cuts. They also bleed and can cause painful swelling. If the bite gets infected, you may also start to see the signs of pus.
Recognizing Rat-bite Fever:
Rat-bite fever can include joint pain, fever and chills, muscle pain, vomiting, headaches, and more. These can be common in people of many ages so if your children get bit or another family member is bit, you will need to recognize these signs as well.
Rat Bites And Treatment:
If you have received a rat bite, there's an easy treatment option such as washing the area with warm water and soap. Drying your area with a clean towel and using antibiotic ointment can be important as well. Then, cover the area with a clean bandage. Even if the bite you have seems minor, you will need to see a doctor as soon as you can to get a tetanus shot. A rat bite can give you an increased chance of developing tetanus.
Treatment Period:
You will need to treat the area for 7-10 days with antibiotics to make sure that you do not develop an infection. Taking an antibiotic for this amount of time will make sure that the infection will have a lesser chance to develop and cause you ongoing symptoms or issues.
If You Are Infected:
Go to a doctor and take a full course of antibiotics as prescribed. If you do not finish your medication, you could be putting yourself at risk and this can lead to ongoing problems even after you have received your first few rounds.