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Started By
Message
Rats in attic
Posted on 7/10/23 at 5:46 pm
Posted on 7/10/23 at 5:46 pm
Exterminator has put out traps. I worry about the poison option because we could end up with bodies in inaccessible places. What is the best way to get rid of these uninvited guests?
12
Posted on 7/10/23 at 5:50 pm to SloaneRanger
Posted on 7/10/23 at 6:19 pm to SloaneRanger
First, and hardest, step is to block all potential points of entry. Any opening bigger than a damn quarter. Then lots of traps in areas with signs of activity. Check them regularly and reset them after a kill. Every now and then move them around. The bastards in my attic were especially fond of sunflower seeds.
It's an absolute pain in the arse, and you'll have to keep up this routine for a while until you feel like you got them all. I fought mine for months, and I still get an occasional stray up there.
It's an absolute pain in the arse, and you'll have to keep up this routine for a while until you feel like you got them all. I fought mine for months, and I still get an occasional stray up there.
Posted on 7/10/23 at 7:18 pm to SloaneRanger
Traps with Peanut Butter.
Sticky Traps.
Caught a snake in the sticky trap one time, not in the attic.
Sticky Traps.
Caught a snake in the sticky trap one time, not in the attic.
Posted on 7/10/23 at 7:22 pm to SloaneRanger
Close off all openings that could allow them to get in to get food and/or water. They can fit through really small crevices.
Put bait stations on exterior corners of the house. They’ll eat and die outside. Check the stations weekly to see if they’re eating the bait. When it slows down, you’re winning.
Inside, put sticky pads and other traps.
It could take a while but that should do it.
Put bait stations on exterior corners of the house. They’ll eat and die outside. Check the stations weekly to see if they’re eating the bait. When it slows down, you’re winning.
Inside, put sticky pads and other traps.
It could take a while but that should do it.
Posted on 7/10/23 at 7:23 pm to TDsngumbo
Just One Bite.
Then Peppermint and/or Coyote Urine.
You will never see them again
Then Peppermint and/or Coyote Urine.
You will never see them again
Posted on 7/10/23 at 9:21 pm to SloaneRanger
quote:
Rats in attic. Exterminator has put out traps.
You called an exterminator to take care of your rats in your attic?
Posted on 7/10/23 at 10:06 pm to Arkapigdiesel
Posted on 7/11/23 at 8:01 am to SloaneRanger
Blue max bait chunks. They leave more times than not before dying. Peppermint oil.
Posted on 7/11/23 at 10:01 am to SloaneRanger
I'd make it a top priority to get rid of them. Besides being disgusting, they can do tremendous damage to wiring,plumbing ,insulation,hvac and even flashing details on the roof.
Buy 20 or 200 rat/mouse traps and bait them with peanut butter and sunflower seeds.
After you've stopped catching them for a week or so you can be somewhat satisfied with getting them all.
THEN be meticulous with sealing/blocking every hole and possible entrance you can find. Plan on spending several hours searching for entrance locations. If you try and seal things up before getting rid of them, they will chew new holes. There still might be some you haven't caught that chew new holes so being vigilant in inspecting several weeks after you've sealed things up is important. Keep traps active in attic for a few weeks after you think the situation is settled.
Sealing up holes can be a pita but its a must to keep them out long-term. If its in a area that can't be seen, canned spray foam does somewhat work IF you've eliminated any and all rodents that have been in the attic or have knowledge of being in the attic. Otherwise of course they'll chew right through it. You can reinforce spray foam by stuffing the hole with coarse steel wool then shove the nozzle of spray foam into the wool and let it rip. But the most important thing is to try and make sure you have all the rodents dead first. Because as I said before, they just find a new way in if they've known the attic as home.
In areas that are readily seen, patching hole can be tricky since spray foam is very very ugly. May need to hire a carpenter if not terribly handy with trim details.
I've had to do this on several houses and its do-able with persistence. The good thing is, after its all over with generally you won't have any more problems if every hole is found and sealed.
Oh, and make sure no one is leaving pet food outside at night. Half a bowl of dogfood can support a whole colony of rodents.
I probably go overboard but gotdamn I hate the damage those things can cause.
Buy 20 or 200 rat/mouse traps and bait them with peanut butter and sunflower seeds.
After you've stopped catching them for a week or so you can be somewhat satisfied with getting them all.
THEN be meticulous with sealing/blocking every hole and possible entrance you can find. Plan on spending several hours searching for entrance locations. If you try and seal things up before getting rid of them, they will chew new holes. There still might be some you haven't caught that chew new holes so being vigilant in inspecting several weeks after you've sealed things up is important. Keep traps active in attic for a few weeks after you think the situation is settled.
Sealing up holes can be a pita but its a must to keep them out long-term. If its in a area that can't be seen, canned spray foam does somewhat work IF you've eliminated any and all rodents that have been in the attic or have knowledge of being in the attic. Otherwise of course they'll chew right through it. You can reinforce spray foam by stuffing the hole with coarse steel wool then shove the nozzle of spray foam into the wool and let it rip. But the most important thing is to try and make sure you have all the rodents dead first. Because as I said before, they just find a new way in if they've known the attic as home.
In areas that are readily seen, patching hole can be tricky since spray foam is very very ugly. May need to hire a carpenter if not terribly handy with trim details.
I've had to do this on several houses and its do-able with persistence. The good thing is, after its all over with generally you won't have any more problems if every hole is found and sealed.
Oh, and make sure no one is leaving pet food outside at night. Half a bowl of dogfood can support a whole colony of rodents.
I probably go overboard but gotdamn I hate the damage those things can cause.
Posted on 7/11/23 at 10:40 am to LSUDad
quote:
Traps with Peanut Butter.
Sticky Traps.
Pretty sure that's all my dad did with the rats/squirrels we had in the attic and it did the job.
Posted on 7/11/23 at 12:59 pm to SloaneRanger
I'm a proponent of live traps.
Don't care to deal with dead,nasty smelling rats.
Don't care to deal with dead,nasty smelling rats.
Posted on 7/11/23 at 2:35 pm to the mighty weez
quote:
I fought mine for months,
frick that. Put poison out and get rid of them ASAP.
Posted on 7/11/23 at 3:51 pm to BilbeauTBaggins
quote:
Pretty sure that's all my dad did with the rats/squirrels we had in the attic and it did the job.
You have to find out where they are getting in, plug that opening.
Posted on 7/11/23 at 5:39 pm to SloaneRanger
Posted on 7/11/23 at 6:44 pm to SloaneRanger
Just one bite poison and be done with it. It's the only thing that will get them all quickly.
Posted on 7/12/23 at 8:05 am to SloaneRanger
Victor Pest has elctronic rat zapper - it electrocutes them when they step in - AND it sends you a text message when you have a kill.
You can quickly clean up after being notified of a kill and reset for the next one.
Looks like they are out of stock at the moment...but you may be able to find them elsewhere.
Victor Pest SMart Kill
You can quickly clean up after being notified of a kill and reset for the next one.
Looks like they are out of stock at the moment...but you may be able to find them elsewhere.
Victor Pest SMart Kill
Posted on 7/12/23 at 9:09 am to SloaneRanger
I've had great luck with the animal repellent sounding device thing. Not sure of the name but you plug it in and the high pitch drives all kinds of rodents etc away.
It's pet friendly too.
It's pet friendly too.
Posted on 7/12/23 at 6:44 pm to Arkapigdiesel
Long time first time.
I had evidence of rats in my attic over the garage so I put out snap traps. Pest control came by a few days later so I told him. He proceeded to throw the red blocks all over the attic.
A few days later, there was a dead rat on my garage floor.
The red blocks continued to slowly be eaten. For several weeks, no more dead rats nor evidence they were visiting my traps.
What it took me a while to realize was that roaches had been taking over and enjoying that food source. But it was easy to get rid of them. And apparently it was only one rat, though everyone always says if you see one, there’s a lot more.
I had evidence of rats in my attic over the garage so I put out snap traps. Pest control came by a few days later so I told him. He proceeded to throw the red blocks all over the attic.
A few days later, there was a dead rat on my garage floor.
The red blocks continued to slowly be eaten. For several weeks, no more dead rats nor evidence they were visiting my traps.
What it took me a while to realize was that roaches had been taking over and enjoying that food source. But it was easy to get rid of them. And apparently it was only one rat, though everyone always says if you see one, there’s a lot more.
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