Monterey County, Salinas Rat Control Situation:
Roof rats in apartment walls - Hi! I saw your page and hope this is still a valid email. I live in an apartment and do not have rats inside yet but do have them in my walls. The property manager called pest control who put traps with peanut butter on the roof but that is it! I called the county complaint line but they said it will be 7-10 days til they can come. What else can I do or get the manager to do? The noise is becoming more frequent and in more walls. I asked them to cut into walls but they won't yet. Thanks, Lindsay
Hello David, I have visited your site after searching for an answer to my problems. I think I have a rat living in my ceiling. Its driving me crazy, it makes so much noise especially in the evenings and it even wakes me up in the middle of the night. I live in a council flat on the top floor and the rat lives in the attic. The problem is that there is no human access to the attic at all, I have called the council and they said as there's no acces to the attic they cannot do anything. Only if the rat comes into the flat. It's outrageous! I stood outside one day and have noticed that on the top of the roof there is a very small gap, which I don't know what it's for but I think the rat is using this passage to come in or out, or perhaps the pipes. Anyway, how can I get rid of it without being able to put any poison or traps in the attic? Please help! Thanks you, Adriana
Salinas Rat Control Tip of The Week
How Likely Is It That A Rat In The Attic Will Have A Nest Of Babies?
Rats are among the most common pest animal species that people may have to deal with around the home, and because they are quite small they can often be quite elusive little animals to deal with as well. They are quite good climbers when it comes to moving around a domestic property, so if you are worried about rats, they won?t necessarily be around ground level. Because the attic or roof space of most domestic properties is rarely used, it can often be the dark quiet place where rats can get a foothold and build a nest without being noticed by the people living beneath.
Do Rats Have A Mating Season?
Like most wild animals, rats in the wild do have a mating season, where they will normally copulate and impregnate female rats in the spring, and then the female will then give birth a few weeks later, and can then have a few litters over the summer. However, the reason for the mating season is that in rural areas there are limited food sources available during the winter months, so it is impractical for rats to mate during these months. However, over recent decades, a growing number of rats are actually giving birth throughout the year because food sources are also present throughout the year, so whatever time of the year you discover rats in the attic, you may find there are babies there too.
How Often Will Rats Give Birth?
Because of how quickly rats can go from mating to giving birth to a litter of baby rats, a female rat can often be back and ready to mate again within a few weeks from giving birth. This means that in some cases female rats can give birth to up to ten litters a year, so the population of rats from one breeding female can increase very quickly. It is also worth noting that a baby female will actually become sexually mature herself after around six weeks from birth, so the possibility for a rat population to expand very quickly where there is sufficient food is certainly there.
Dealing With Rats In The Attic
When it comes to dealing with a rat infestation, the first step is to identify where in the attic the rats are active, and while taking the appropriate precautions, look for areas where there is a buildup of rat droppings. You should then place several rat traps in these areas of the attic, along with a small amount of food as bait, and the next step is simply to watch and wait. You should remove any rat carcasses as they are caught in your traps, and then re-lay the trap with a new serving of bait, and you should then continue this process until you no longer see any signs of fresh rat activity, and when you are no longer catching any more rats. You will then need to carry out the appropriate repairs.
What To Do With A Nest Of Baby Rats
In some cases you may actually find a nest of baby rats in the attic, and if they are very young they will often be unable to look after themselves, and will ultimately die if they have to live without the support and feeding from their mother. Because of how common they are, baby rats are rarely suitable to be looked after by a wildlife rehabilitator, so in this case the most humane thing that you can do will be to kill those baby rats as humanely as possible.
