I know this is the Year of the Dragon, but you’d think it was the Year of the Rat! Our rat calls are up nearly 30% over last winter! This is good for us, but not so good for homeowners on the front line of the war on rats.
Being do-it-yourselfers, we understand that folks want to try to bait and trap rats out of their homes first, before calling a professional. But many times they fail. Why? Well, let’s review a few of the most common mistakes homeowners make when they try to do it themselves first.
3 Costly Rat Mistakes
- Mistake #1: Placing poison in the attic and sub area. We don’t recommend placing poison within the structure, as rats may die inside in your attic, sub area and even within your walls. The smell of a decomposing rat is not pleasant, and retrieving and removing it can end up being more costly than calling a professional in the first place.
- Mistake #2: Not understanding the importance of a sealed up house. You can trap and bait all you want. But if you haven’t sealed up your home to exclude rats, insects and other critters, they’re going to keep coming back. The wet and cold flush them into warm houses in the winter -isn’t that where you want to be? Seal up your homes. If you can’t get to it, pay someone to do it. It will save you money in the long run, guaranteed.
- Mistake #3: Underestimating the intelligence of a rat. Rats are pretty smart. You need to know how to bait your traps and where to set them. Older rats will figure you out, so do your research. Place traps in their “runs” and be consistent. You can place 20 traps out, but if you don’t do it right, those traps are a waste of your money.
If you are seeing several droppings a day inside your home and you aren’t having luck trapping the rats yourself, call a professional. Rat droppings you can see. Rat urine you can’t. But there will be a lot more urine than droppings! (You can see it with a black light.) Rodent excrement is a health hazard, so don’t mess around. If you need help, call us today. We’ll give those rats an eviction notice…in a scurry. Oops! I mean in a hurry!
Kris
Bugs Northwest 