Wake County, Raleigh Rat Control Situation:
How can I tell if I have rats or mice hanging out in my walls/attic? We haven't found any signs of anything getting into the main part of the house, but every once in a while we hear them scurrying around in one spot. We only hear them in the evening, and we haven't heard them very often (tonight is the first time I have noticed them in two weeks, but I'm also not home every evening). First we thought it was mice, but I am starting to worry that they might be rodents nesting for the winter. I checked outside and couldn't find any visible entry points, nor any footprints on the roof. I also looked under the roof overhang on that side of the house and there are no holes there. I can't tell if I am hearing squirrel chirping or mouse squeaking--it's almost a squeak-like chirp (real helpful, I know). If we can't find any holes for them to get in, it makes me think mice, but if we haven't seen any signs of them in the house and only hear them in one spot, it makes me think squirrels. Whatever it is has had access to this spot for quite some time, so if they are rats, I think we need to act ASAP, as per the damage reports I've seen on websites. Any and all advice you have to diagnose what we are dealing with would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for your help! - Kristin
My response: Sounds like mouse or rat activity to me. Squirrels are active in the daytime, and people usually hear a lot of morning noise. If you inspect the attic, you can tell by the droppings left behind.
Raleigh Rat Control Tip of The Week
Reasons Why Relocated Rats Don't Survive Out Of Their Usual Territory
After trapping a rat in your home, you will have to decide either to kill it or relocate it. If killing a rat doesn't go down well with you because it makes you feel inhumane, you will be left with no other option but to relocate it.
If you have decided to relocate a trapped rat into a new territory, you need to understand the fact that it might not survive. Despite being a very smart household pest, rats find it very difficult to cope in a new environment for several reasons. The following are the reasons why a relocated rat won't survive out of their usual territory.
The first reason why rats won't survive in a new environment is that they are accustomed to their old environment. They have spent their entire life studying where they stay, knowing the exact place to find water and food in order to survive daily. Transferring this survival instinct to a new environment is a quite difficult thing to do for rats. As a result of these differences, they will find it difficult to locate food and water which they need to survive in any environment they are relocated to.
The presence of predators in the new environment is another reason why rats will find it difficult to survive. Animals like cats, snakes, and birds hunt for rats and will take advantage of the fact that the newly introduced rat doesn't know its way around to capture it.
When you introduce a rat into a new environment, it is going to meet other street rats that are already accustomed to that specific environment. Rats being animals that exhibit dominance in the form of hierarchy, where the submissive group is traumatized by the dominant rats, your rat will face multiple brutal battles and might end up in bad shape in the process. Over time, they will either get killed or too weak to look for food and shelter.
All these clearly show why any rat you decide to relocate might never survive the effects of leaving your home and being transferred into a new environment.
