RATS!!!

[Marcello Oliveri]

Can someone help me in With this problem? This sounds really gross but, I have a rat infestation!!! If anyone is familiar or has had similar problems, I would be grateful :) There seems to be a severe rat infestation at one of my properties. I had my exterminators go back out Friday to treat for them. They notified me that there are numerous entry points throughout the house and underneath the house. See their notes below ... "I had the technician look at what we need to do to seal the house from the rats, and at this point it is beyond our scope of work. We aren’t qualified to do the extensive sheet rock repairs that are needed in the hot water heater closet, behind the stove & dishwasher. I think a contractor or your maintenance may want to go take a look at the exterior. The under pinning (?) needs to be repaired ( that’s what my guy called it). Basically all around the perimeter of this pier & beam home needs to be sealed so rats can’t just crawl under the house, and then into it from the many openings behind the appliances or the massive gap in the hot water heater closet. Hope this helps in letting the owner know what needs to be done," I will need to find somebody that can and will do this kind of work to go get an estimate. I would expect it to possibly be pricey due to the extensive work needed. Anyone with sound advice?

[James DeRoest]

Getting in is one thing. Personally for a small hole whilst the house is under tenancy, we use a bit of tin foil in the hole and then sealed up with foam. Rats will not chew through tin foil. Then come back for a decent repair later.

Next issue is killing them, buy the ten pack bait poison from your local pest control place, and buy two or three big black bait box feeding box type things. Screw the bait inside, and then put under the house. The bait box will have an entry and exit hole for the rat, that must be against wherever you put it. Rats run with their shoulder to a wall, so if they find a box with hole whilst running along, they'll investigate the box. 

If the bait is screwed down, they then can't take the bait, and they tell other rats where the box is.

Third issue is - what conditions are allowing a rat colony to live locally. Look around, it'll be a neighbor somewhere. When you find it, report to your local council, someone in environmental control. Someone will get written up for it.

The underpinnings of the house is a red herring. Good for busine$$ though. Rats will get in to any space, and there is no chance that they'll be stopped by good underpinnings. The job of underpinnings is to stop things like cats, raccoons, and so forth living under the house. Anyone who tells you that good underpinnings will stop a rat is lying to your face.