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
What To Do If A Rat Got Inside My House?
Rats are considered as one of the most dangerous household pests due to their destructive nature and their ability to carry diseases and other disease-causing organisms. If you happen to have a rat invasion in your home, you need to find a way to get them out without any further delay.
Rats are naturally sneaky and will always find a way to move around your home without being noticed. As a result of this, getting them out of your house might be quite difficult to do. To help make this easy for you, we will be sharing the simple steps you can take to handle the situation if rats get inside your house.
1. Locate All Their Entry Holes
Rats getting into your home means there are holes around your home big enough to allow their easy passage. Having realized this, the first thing you need to do is to find those holes and seal them up. By doing this, you will be preventing more rats from getting into your home.
2. Clean Your House
Even though rats do infest the cleanest of houses, it important for you to make sure your house is unattractive to rats by clearing all dirt and clutter in and around your home. To do this, take your time to clean your kitchen floor, clear out hidden places that you don't clean regularly, and vacuum the floor of your home to remove food particles. Also, when cleaning your home, you need to make sure your food is kept in a rat-proof container or cupboard.
3. Keep Their Natural Predators
When it comes to getting rats out of your home, one of the best ways to do this is to get their natural predators in your home. For instance, you can get a cat to help hunt them down and keep them away.
4. Trap And Remove
Although the use of lethal traps is an inhumane way to get rid of rats in your home, it is the most efficient method to use. To use this method, all you have to do is get traps from a local store and place them along the route of the rats.
Repeat this same process until you can remove all of the rats in your home.