New Castle County County, Wilmington Rat Control Situation:
Hi David, I rent an apartment in Wilmington DE and have consistent mouse problems. It started with a mouse in the beginning of the year- I set all types of traps (snapping, glue, poison) and it would only eat the peanut butter and not get caught. Finally it was caught, but again I have a mouse and all the different traps that are out are only feeding it. I know the only real way to stop them is to close off all points of access, but living in an old apartment building and having landlords who've stopped caring about all the mice problems makes it harder. My neighbors also have mice problems and I think they're traveling between apartments. I obviously cant secure every hole, but I can at least try with my place. Would stuffing the holes with mesh wire then covering it with caulking work? I'm not sure how to finish off the holes. Also if you have any insight on how to deal with these renter vs. landlord situations, I'm all ears. Thanks for listening, Dianna
Hello, Attached are 2 photos of what I think are from a wood rat. My family owns a large cabin in the middle of 260 wooded acres. The ground around the cabin has been cleared for years. In the past we only had mice to control, but now we have critters that we cannot control. We place rat/mice poison in 3 areas. They eat it all within 2 weeks. There is lots of poop right around the poison trays. Now the critter is eating part of the sofa and has knocked a lamp over. We have had flying squirrels and wood rats in the past. But they ate the poison and died. Not the case now. What do you suggest? We put moth balls under the cabin and the attic appears not to be an issue. We cannot find where they are coming in. VERY frustrating. Can you help?? Thank you. I have to forward the pictures from my computer.
Wilmington Rat Control Tip of The Week
Are Rats Able to Enter a Property Through the Plumbing?
Rats are able to swim:
Rats are surprisingly flexible and they have some excellent swimming abilities. Even if they have to make their way in through your pipes, it won't take long for them to make their way into your home if they are located under it in the groundwater. A rat is a perfect size to get through most water pipes or sewage pipes and this can mean easy access into your home.
There are dry spots throughout your plumbing:
Depending on the way your plumbing bends, it is likely that there could be some dry spots within your plumbing or within the inner workings of your home. Rats may enter into your plumbing and may even build nests throughout these dryer areas.
Rats can damage your plumbing:
As well as being able to scurry through your plumbing, rats could potentially damage your plumbing or even clog up your pipes. If there is a major rat problem or a nest nearby, you could be risking the chance that you could damage your neighbor's pipes or have an ongoing rat problem in your own home.
Rats easily enter in through broken lines:
If there are areas of your plumbing that have fallen into disrepair, make sure that they can be properly fixed up. Broken sewer lines or tree roots in your plumbing can often be the perfect place for many rats to make their way into your property.
Check grates and drain covers:
Installing mesh or making sure that you have a proper cover for your drain covers can be important to keeping rats from invading your space. Regularly looking at all of your drains and making sure that a rat can't make their way inside can be very important.
Close your toilet lid:
Closing a toilet lid could be a simple practice you could use that can stop rats from entering your home.
