Monroe County, Rochester Rat Control Situation:
Hey Dave, we live in what we estimate to be in the area of a 100 yr. old one level house that is sitting on columns. The crawl space is similar to your web pica, very small. Rats & mice have been a concern since we moved in !8 yrs ago. All along I've been using sticks of poison. They take the sticks & seem to disappear. I don't know how they're getting in or out or if they are dying under there, and the process continues. I've tried using a snap trap but it seems the peanut butter dries up & is useless. Some company gave us an estimate of $10,000 to seal the cp but couldn't guarantee the rats wouldn't return. Maybe I haven't done enough inspection for entry/exit. Any advice ? Thanks, Mike
Dear Sir/Madam, Would you please recommend me an experienced company good at killing rats and mice? I noticed the problem more than one year ago. June last year, I hired EcoFirst to eliminate the rats and mice, and at that time, I signed a Contract with the company for one year. A half year later, that company was bought by Terminix, and it took over the job. So far, more than one year has passed, and they have come to my house several times, but the problem has NOT been solved at all, and it becomes more serious. June last year, the rats (mice?) were found in the Garage. Now, the rats (mice?) comes to my kitchen. This was noticed one month ago. I'm not sure whether it is rats or mice. We have not caught any so far. What should I do? Do you have any suggestion? Thank you very much. Regards, Paul
Rochester Rat Control Tip of The Week
Why Are Mothballs And Ammonia Ineffective At Repelling Rats?
When it comes to repelling rats, the use of mothballs and ammonia are quite common, as many people consider using them to help keep rats away from their home. Despite how common these repellents are, their effectiveness is still questioned.
Mothballs and ammonia emit a strong smell that is believed to help repel rats by making them feel irritated, with the hope that the effects of the smell will make them lose interest in staying in a particular place and keep them away. The fact is, this might seem effective at the onset. But within a short time, these repellents lose their effectiveness and will no longer be able to repel rats.
Rats are covetous. When they see a need to stay around your home because there is abundant availability of food, they will ignore the effects of these repellents and continue with their activities. This simply means that if you choose to buy either mothballs or ammonia to repel the rats in your home, provided they see a greater need to stay, you will only be wasting your time because neither of the two repellents will help you in making your home rat-free.
Instead of using any of these repellents to help keep rats away from your home, you can focus more on making your home rat-proof. To do this, all you have to do is fix all the cracks and holes in your house which could serve as an entry point, get a very agile cat to help hunt them, and also keep your house and surroundings clean by removing trash. These are better ways to repel rats when compared with the use of mothballs and ammonia.