Ingham County, Michigan Rat Removal

Ingham County, Michigan Rat Control Services

critter removal from attic

Rodent entry elimination: We see many attempts by handymen, pest control companies, and Ingham County, Michigan rodent extraction companies that do not include the removal of any roofing material. Often the prevention includes the emptying of a can of foam into the void. Without the removal of roofing material, there is no assurance that rodent entry will be eliminated. When we encounter these substandard attempts, we must first remove the previous application.  When this includes foam, the extraction of the foam takes longer than the application of our wire prevention product.

rat droppings vs mice droppings

Rodent elimination by those who are not insured exposes you, the Ingham County, Michigan homeowner, to unnecessary liabilities. It is in your best interest to request proof of insurance for worker’s compensation and public liability before work begins on your roof. It’s doubtful that you will find these companies or individuals carry such insurance.  Those who do not often work in this environment typically cannot afford expensive roofing insurance.

Will a rat in the attic have a nest of babies?


birds in attic noise

  • What should I do with a rat after I catch it?

  • Will a rat in the attic have a nest of babies?

  • Do rats carry rabies?

Your inspection process must include ladder work and climbing on a roof. They also often chew on inedible materials such as books, soap, and cans. The more dominant individuals occupy the better habitats and feed whenever they like, whereas the less fortunate individuals may have to occupy marginal habitat and feed when the more dominant rats are not present. Many rats may cache or hoard considerable amounts of solid food, which they eat later. They prefer to consume fruits (sometimes referred to as the “fruit rat” or “citrus rat”) and nuts, although roof rats are omnivorous and will feed on almost anything available to them. I highly recommend snap traps, not live cage traps, certainly not glue boards, and most definitely not poison! Never poison rats, it doesn't solve the problem and it just creates more problems. Bait blocks are easy to place in small areas and difficult-to-reach locations out of the way of children, pets, and nontarget species. If rats are seen during the day that usually means a very large rodent population is nearby. Rats are responsible for the spread of many diseases. Tunnel boxes or bait boxes specially designed to expose a layer of toxic powder will reduce potential contamination problems and may actually increase effectiveness. The number of litters depends on the area and varies with nearness to the limit of their climatic range, availability of nutritious food, density of the local rat population, and the age of the rat.

What Do Rats Eat?


rat droppings vs mice droppings

  • What if you are bitten by a rat

  • Rats: How to Get Rid of Rats for Good!

  • Rat Diseases

The key is to control rat populations, not individual rats. ALWAYS USE RESPIRATORY PROTECTION WHEN REMOVING RODENT DROPPINGS. For further information see Norway Rats. Rats may carry viruses such as Hantavirus and salmonella, and although they can also be a carrier of bubonic plague, that disease is not indigenous in the USA. Snap traps are actually the very best way to do it. Should Norway rats infest a structure, they most likely will live in the basement or ground floor. Always be sure that fresh bait is available continuously until rats stop feeding. Roof rats are susceptible to all of the various anticoagulant rodenticides, but less so than Norway rats. Generally, Roof rats stay within 100 miles inland. Young rats generally cannot be trapped until about 1 month old. Rats that are captured should be humanely destroyed and not released elsewhere because of their role in disease transmission, damage potential, and detrimental effect on native wildlife.

Can rats hurt you?


pet rat noises

  • Will a rat chew through the ceiling?

  • Rat Proofing

  • How to keep rats out of my garden

They need not be baited. Rats are responsible for the spread of many diseases. Indoors, runways appear as clean paths through dust or dirt. Roof rats are likely to found in coastal, near-coastal areas and port cities. Anticoagulants (slow-acting, chronic toxicants). Elsewhere, reports indicate that roof rats are slowly disappearing from localized areas for no apparent reason. Glue boards will catch roof rats, but, like traps, they must be located on beams, rafters, and along other travel routes, making them more difficult to place effectively for roof rats than for Norway rats or house mice. Roof rats can also enter openings in walls, eaves and roof from the branches of trees.