Help! Rodent in the attic! And my room!

[Alex Franke]

I woke up this morning to the sound of a crinkling plastic bag in the opposite corner of the bedroom -- and it wasn't one of the kids. Out in the hall, I noticed that there was a bit of pink insulation below the drop-down attic door (and the floor was vacuumed yesterday), and the door itself was left open maybe 1/2 inch. Somehow I got my wife out without alarming her, and then went back in to see what had made the noise. When I approached the corner, I saw peripherally a very fast, dark "thing" streak from under the dresser to under the bed -- so fast I can't even judge how big it was.

I told my wife that I thought it might be a mouse that fell out of the attic and I set up a couple of bucket traps, but on the way out the door I let it slip that it might be a rat. I'm doomed! I shouldn't have said that word! (I think she's going to want to demo the whole room and rebuild it.) There was one dropping in the hall, about 1/8 inch, and one in the room, about 1/4 inch, but then I had to leave to get to work.

I've never had this problem before -- any idea what I can expect to pay an exterminator to get rid of what's there and prevent re-entry?

Any input/advice will be much appreciated!

[pelligrini]

Exterminators aren't cheap. I paid around $400 (which I heard was a deal) for a year long contract last year. They plugged all the entry holes, and placed traps in the attic. The contract also included an insect treatment package. It took them several tries to get the attic closed up.

[JR]

Get a rat trap, install a piece of cheese (or whatever else you have in the 'fridge. They're not picky.) Put it in the attic.

You'll be shed of him within 24 hours.

JR

[Daryl]

HERE is a page to help identify between Roof rats and Norway rats. I would just start trapping and keep at it along with looking for any hole and crack that they gain egress thru. You might also keep food away from them. No more crackers in bed.

[Mr__Bill]

Think, God given pet.......

[Alex Franke]

What a good, cost effective trap?

We wouldn't want to use poison because we have kids and don't want dead rodents in our walls. Snap traps, I hear, can be messy. Glue traps, I hear, can be noisy. I don't want the family to have to listen to screaming rodents...

Mr Bill -- you crack me up. A friend of mine had rescued lab rats around as pets, but it's different when they're uninvited!

[Gator95]

Uh oh. If you see one rat, that means that there are thousands hanging out in the walls.

no wait... that roaches.

Anyways, trap 'em (your choice of lethal vs. non) or poison 'em with DCon.
No need to hire an exterminator yet, I think. We'd get them from time to time in the house I grew up in.

[dbhost]

I had a similar problem last year, I talked with the exterminator, and all they will do is trap / poison the critters. So I did that. Make ABSOLUTELY certain that they cannot obtain water ANYWHERE in the house, and make water available more than 30 feet away from the house with a bird feeder, or a dog dish or whatever...

The mice / rats eat the poison, get VERY thirsty, and seek water, once the water hits the poison it activates, and they don't go very far once that happens.

THEN carefully inspect the exterior of your home for ANY gaps larger than 1/4". It doesn't take much at all for those flexible suckers to get in...

It took 2 weeks to get rid of mine. Don't rely on traps alone. They learn once they see their brother with his little neck snapped to avoid the traps...

[Alex Franke]

Uh oh. If you see one rat, that means that there are thousands hanging out in the walls.

LOL yeah -- I'm sure that's what my wife is thinking, too!

[OpaDC]

I had a similar problem last year, I talked with the exterminator, and all they will do is trap / poison the critters. So I did that. Make ABSOLUTELY certain that they cannot obtain water ANYWHERE in the house, and make water available more than 30 feet away from the house with a bird feeder, or a dog dish or whatever...

The mice / rats eat the poison, get VERY thirsty, and seek water, once the water hits the poison it activates, and they don't go very far once that happens.

THEN carefully inspect the exterior of your home for ANY gaps larger than 1/4". It doesn't take much at all for those flexible suckers to get in...

It took 2 weeks to get rid of mine. Don't rely on traps alone. They learn once they see their brother with his little neck snapped to avoid the traps...

Ditto to what dbhost said about the water. I had same problem. I had to enclose a water drainage hose I had first in pvc. Then threw some poison up in attic space and kept water nowhere near the house. Put it in back area by shed and bushes. After about 3 days I closed off the entry hole (I had already found it). No problems since, about 6 months now. Now have to get neighbor to take care of area under his shed where some are nesting I think.

[Uncle Cracker]

Get one of these...

[Alex Franke]

Get one of these...

Oh, yeah -- that'll make the wife feel muuuuch better at home. :P

There was a TV show I saw maybe a year or so ago where a pest got under a stage. They kept sending in bigger and bigger predators to get it out -- each one went in and got stuck. I don't remember what they ended up using, but I think they had to rent it from the zoo.

[docrowan]

Plus one on what dbhost and Opa said. DCON is the way to go and no smell of dead rat as long as they can't get water in the house. I keep some in the attic all the time, just in case. When checking for entrances, don't forget to make sure tree limbs are not touching or overhanging your roof.

I hate those glue traps. Dang things are never dead when I find one stuck in them and then I have to deal with it. I guess I'm squemish but I just as soon not see them in their death throes. Plus I'd hate the thought of my little girl seeing them stuck in it.

"Dada, why is Remy stuck in that trap? Can't we let him help us cook?" (Those of you who have seen the Pixar movie Ratatouille will know what I'm talking about.)

[Alex Franke]

I'm thinking about picking up one of these live traps for the one that's in the room... if he's still in the room. Don't know how he might have gotten out because I blockaded him in there... maybe he's chewed through the walls by now...

I might try to hire someone to rodent proof the house because I hate climbing up ladders... we'll see how it goes.

"Dada, why is Remy stuck in that trap? Can't we let him help us cook?" (Those of you who have seen the Pixar movie Ratatouille will know what I'm talking about.)

Ha -- a friend from high school was the voice of that character, and I still haven't seen it! Shame on me!

[chopnhack]

Just don't forget to check your traps, last thing you want is to come back after a few days and have to clean up a carcass and maggots, DAMHIKT..... as for poisoning, I have heard before that as they try to get rid of the poison they start to pee everywhere, don't know if this is true or not, worth researching though. And another +++ on the rodent proofing of your home, cut back trees, no limbs touching or even nearly touching (goes for ants, roachs, etc. as well) the home..the wind moves these things you know Also bust out the caulking gun and make sure the house is water/wind/rodent/bug tight!
good luck