If you review our RAT CONTROL article, you'll see we list several other trapping options. Other points of interest in our article actually address the results you've had. In fact what you've experienced is pretty much what our article says one should expect when using either SNAP TRAPS or GLUE TRAPS.

With Snap Traps, if you don't set 12-24 traps, there is a good chance the local population will learn to avoid them after seeing  other rats get killed. Same with Glue Traps. Since rats are strong and can escape their grip, rats will learn quickly to avoid the smell of glue once they see 1 of their kin caught.

At this point I suggest you get 2-3 LIVE TRAPS. As our article goes on to explain, rats won't get afraid of these since they don't kill anything. And if you place a lot of bird seed or pet food inside the trap so that rats which enter will think they've found a "pot of gold", other rats will anxiously try to enter. With the single catch traps this won't be an option but that's okay. As soon as you remove the trapped rat and make a reset, any still in your home will eagerly enter the empty trap because they won't learn to fear the device because it's not hurting or killing them.

Of course, if you suspect you have a lot of rats still inside, get one of the REPEATER TRAPS since they can capture many at one time. As for bait; be sure to use what they've been feeding on as lure. I know it's not been peanut butter and bacon; I'm betting it's either pet food or bird seed. And if that's true, use one of these as this is more of what they expect and love. Peanut butter and bacon isn't on the normal menu for rats and when making trap sets, it's best to offer what they can find close by or have been feeding on. When you introduce something "new", it alarms them and many times they'll avoid this odd food.

Lastly, the fact that you have already sealed up holes presents a whole new set of problems. First, as our article explains, you should always leave these in tact until you solve the problem and THEN seal them up. This is because rats like to go in and out of any structure. And when you know their entry points, you know where to trap. Now as soon as you seal those, you force the local population to find an alternate route. In this process they'll no doubt find another pathway and this will be unbeknownst to you so that even after you get rid of the current problem, there will now be entry ways into your home you don't know about. This is bad.

Hopefully there is only 1-2 rats left for you to trap and if that's true, the amount of alternate pathways they make will be minimal. But as our article explains, rats use scent for their trails and once the population is removed, you need to clean up the inside and outside areas with some NNZ. By removing their odor and scent, you'll greatly reduce the likelihood of new rats finding your home and coming inside. Scent can last 1-2 years with no problem and this is the main reason homes get infested over and over again with rats and mice. You must remove the smell that's no doubt on your house if you don't want future problems. Hope this helps!

Rat Article: http://www.roof-rat-control.com/rat-control

Snap Traps:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/snap-snare-and-tunnel/rat-trap-expanded-trigger

Glue Traps:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/glue/rat-glue-board-paper-8-x-12

Live Trap: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-5-x-5-x-18

Repeating Live Trap: http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/repeater3-5-x-3-5-x-24

NNZ: http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/liquid/nnz-64-oz

I may have dead rats underneath the woodwork, underneath the walls in the house. What should I do and what product can I use? Will the smell go away? And is the smell of ammonia resemble dead rats ? Your help is greatly appreciated.

If you read through our RAT CONTROL ARTICLE, you'll learn that the use of a rodenticide in the home will many times lead to an animal dying somewhere inaccessible. But the general rule is anytime you have any kind of animal active in or around your home, there will be an increased risk of something like this happening. Fortunately there are some good products that can remove the smell.

For now read our article. As you'll learn, removing the animal is always best. But if you're not able to find it, you'll have to treat with the NNZ we list in the article. You can spray it out over the area where you suspect the odor is located but if it's a wall or ceiling void, you may need to use one of the FOAMERS to get good coverage.

Dead Rat Odor Article:  http://www.roof-rat-control.com/rat-control#dead_rat_odor

NNZ:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/liquid/nnz-64-oz

Foamer:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/foamers/solo-2-gal-foamer-w12-inj

Rat Control Article:  http://www.roof-rat-control.com/rat-control

Does your company have a foam product that can be used to fill holes and will keep mice from chewing through it?

Thanks.

We do. For small jobs, the BLACK FOAM is the most common professional product used. The 16 oz can comes with it's own hose so it's ready for use and good for small jobs. The larger 32 oz can must be used with a FOAM GUN.

The maximum strength FOAM REPELLENT product works the same way but also has a "built in" repellent flavor making it stronger. It can only be used with a application gun like the one listed below.

Black Foam Sealant:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/aerosol/pur-black

Pur Gun:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/tools/pur-shooter-basic-gun

Foam Repellent:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/aerosol/pur-ipf-foam

There is no doubt roof rats can create a mess along with some nasty, foul and biologically unhealthy odors. Locally we have companies that specialize in insulation removal due to odor problems similar to what you've described. In my mind, removing the contaminated material is the only way to go. I suggest you remove as much as possible and then vacuum with an industrial shop vac to get anything loose. I also recommend using a RESPIRATOR, RUBBER GLOVES and DISPOSABLE COVERALLS to insure anyone working in this environment avoids the hazardous contaminates undoubtedly present.

I then suggest treating with the NNZ ODOR NEUTRALIZER. It does a great job of breaking down and eliminating odors and is very effective on both rodent droppings and their gland scent which undoubtedly is distributed throughout your attic space. I'd let the area sit for a few days before I reinsulated just to make sure the treatment was effective and to your satisfaction. In most cases we find people have to treat just once but in extreme situations a second spraying may be required. Based on the description you provided, that might be in order for you home.

On a side note, hiring a service company for this task will no doubt be quite expensive. I wouldn't be surprised if it would be a couple of thousand dollars depending on where you live, the size of the attic and some other factors. Doing it yourself would be a huge cost savings but obviously it will require some hard work. If you're interested in more information, read up on the products mentioned above by following these links. You can also give us a call to discuss this matter at any time on our toll free 1-800-877-7290.

Here are the links:

Respirator:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page706.html

Rubber Gloves:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/nitrile_gloves.html

Disposable Coveralls:  http://www.bugspray.com/item/large_disposable_coveralls.html

NNZ Odor Neutralizer:  http://www.bugspray.com/catalog/products/page877.html

we have had an ongoing rat problem since we've moved in to this house (here in atlanta!) there are places in the house on the carpet where rats have left their "scent" shall we say…. and one of these being in the room where my newborn will sleep. nice. do you have an organic spray that will neutralize the scent so they won't come back? our pest control company said that smell is so strong they come back to it…

Roof Rats will definitely create and use scent trails to navigate their way around. Their vision is limited but they have an amazing sense of smell and use it to the fullest potential as explained in our ROOF RAT CONTROL ARTICLE. In fact, it's clearly one of the biggest reasons why homes that get rodents once have a tendency to get them again; the lingering odors and scents are clearly an attractive nuisance and should be removed for long term rat control to truly be achieved.

If you check out our RODENT EQUIPMENT page, you'll find a section on ODOR CONTROL. In this section there are links for two products that will solve this problem. Both NNZ and N7C are organic and can safely be used in the home. These products don't mask or "clean up" anything. Essentially they break down and decompose the odor molecules that have been left behind. This decomposition process will morph the odor into another "scent" altogether and most importantly, one that roof rats will not interpret to be their own (and not detectable by humans). Of the two, I'd recommend the NNZ. It's the odorless version and best suited for inside applications where no smell is the desired end result.

Additionally, it would be ideal if you are able to peel back the carpet and get the treatment down under the rug as much as possible. If there is wood or cement under the carpet, there is no doubt some of the odor molecules embedded on this substrate as well. This means treating over the top of the carpet won't be nearly as direct as we like to make the application. In the end, the more direct you administer the NNZ,  the better the results you'll enjoy (and the faster they'll be noticeable). You may be able to achieve the same result by spraying over the carpet but there could be a impact on the carpet color since it will require a lot of water to get the NNZ down through the carpet. That means a good soaking and this process could alter or change the color of the rug. Avoid this altogether by treating under the carpet. After the initial application you can mist over the top of the carpet to ensure the carpet fibre's aren't harboring any scent.

For more information on the NNZ, check out the NNZ LABEL we've posted on line. And if you have further questions about how to do the job, please give us a call at 770-985-9392 during our normal business hours.

Great question! No doubt lots of people believe this to be the case. But is there any scientific research or testing to confirm or dispel this widespread urban legend? Not that we're aware of. However, we've done a little research on our own… And the results may surprise you!

First, one would think cats to be natural "ratters". It's common for cats to kill, retrieve and drag around small animals like mice, birds, lizards, rats, chipmunks and squirrels. But do all cats display this behavior? That would be a definite no. And what % of cats do? Anyone's guess. I think most don't have the chance to show they're capable of doing it and even the few that do aren't nearly as effective as their owners would like to think.

Which leads me to my next point. Most people who have pets like a dog or cat that routinely retrieve small animals are quick to point out their animal does this all the time. In these situations it becomes clear their pet is sometimes finding animals in their domain. In other words, for house cats that don't go outside, the rodents are clearly coming inside. And many times the cats are able to get their "prizes" several times a week. This leads us to believe the rodents are "co existing" with the predatory cat or dog. Seemingly they don't care! And for pets that venture off their land to seek their prey; we have found many of these pet owners to have an ongoing active rodent problem! In other words, we have customers that come to us confused because their pet hunts small animals yet they know they have a rodent infestation and can't understand how this could be.

All this mixed data leads us to believe that cats and dogs can and will hunt small animals. But once they became domesticated, this hunting behavior became something they didn't need to use to live or survive. That means it will be "fleeting" at best and not done to the level needed to provide true rodent control or pest elimination. And since we've seen case after case of rodents co existing with both dogs and cats that either don't care or do kill some of the unwanted small animals found in their domain, in neither case do the rats or mice active seem to care. In other words, the pet doesn't seem to deter or frighten the rodent away. Which explains why more than 50% of our customers with rodent problems own pets! One would think the two might be directly related but I'm pretty sure the relationship is more of a related "interest". And this interest seems to be food.

No doubt pet food (in all forms) is more of a rodent attractor than the pets are a rodent repeller. This we are 100% sure and base it upon 30+ years of data. As explained in our ROOF RAT CONTROL ARTICLE, pet food is very nutritious and will attract rodents from far away. So to answer your question, I'm 100% there are some cats that can "scare away rodents that are inside a house". But do all cats scare rodents and are all cats even interested? No way. And are all rodents afraid of cats or other pets? Nope. In fact, it seems as though they are able to gauge whether they should be frightened or not and when they detect a pet that might pose a hazard to them, the rodent will many times avoid the pet but still use the structure to some degree for either food or shelter. So even "rodent hunting pets" – or at least pets that show this trait strong enough to alert rodents to the fact they could be in trouble for hanging around – aren't able to keep rats or mice away for sure. In the end, this glaring fact means that if wish to keep your property and house rodent free, you'd best follow the guidelines and practices outlined in our rodent control article. Hope this answers your question!!

The homeowner apparently didn't realize the danger and just reset the circuit breaker. About 6 hours later the fire broke out. You can read the full the story here:

ATTIC FIRE CAUSED BY RODENTS?

In fact, rodents regularly chew on pipes, wires and just about anything attempting to grind down their teeth. As explained in our ROOF RAT CONTROL article, they do this instinctively. This is just one more reason why roof rats should not be tolerated in or around the home. Be sure to trap out local populations if you find them in or on your house using one of the methods detailed in our article.

Thank You, T.T.

ROPEL can be used on anything. The only issue we've seen is some discoloration when treating certain fabrics. I don't think this will be of any concern when treating under the hood of a car and over the years we've had people use it successfully to stop rats, mice and squirrels from chewing on their vehicles.

Another option is to set out a LIVE TRAP under the vehicle. Small animals are easy to catch and once trapped, you can relocate them far away so they can't access your vehicle anymore.

Lastly, another great option is the TRANSONIC PRO ULTRA SOUND. It's got variable settings and works well on both rats and mice. Install one set up with a timer as described in the following video and I'm sure you'll be able to keep them away.

Here are direct links to the information and products listed above:

Ropel:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/liquid/ropel-liquid

Live Trap:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/traps/cage/live-trap-5-x-5-x-18

Transonic:  http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/sound/usd-transonic-tx-pro

I have a dead rat in the refrigerator. We have looked under and behind and removed tile under appliance but cannot locate it. We think it is probably in the motor housing or up inside some insulation. We can't lay the refrigerator down without causing damage due to it's design and size. This is a new appliance. Do you have any suggestions on how to control the terrible odor?

Thanks

Rats and mice will many times seek out tight places to hide. Motor housings and the surrounding environment are prime locations and as the cold of winter sets in, rodents will come inside looking for these exact locations. They generally offer warmth and moisture as well as a secure location to keep them protected from predators and the harsh season outside. These same locations also have a lot of hazards including electrical and mechanical parts which can end a small rodents life abruptly.

When rats or mice die in an appliance such as a refrigerator, a bad odor will usually alert the homeowner of it's presence. At that point the dead rodent should be found and removed. If it cannot be found and removed, treating the motor and other components of the appliance can be done with some NNZ ODOR NEUTRALIZER. This product can be sprayed lightly over the housing, compartment and surrounding area. With any luck it will trickle down into key voids or spaces where the dead animal is nestled. Expect to repeat treatments daily till the carcass is decomposed.

If you have other rodent questions, consult our online RAT CONTROL ARTICLE or call us troll free at 1-800-877-7290.