Rats/Mice In Walls - Help!

My husband is a pest control technician and he says a mouse can get into anything your pinky can fit in. They can scale brick walls. They normally start on the lower level though. They are coming in for the warmth. Don't leave any food out. Not even pet food. Keep it all in containers. Food isn't the reason they are there, but don't make it easy for them. Go to HomeDepot or Walmart and get ready to use bait packs and glue traps. Put bait packs in the attic and the glue boards around the garage door. That should do it. Of course, make sure you check them and put more down until they are gone.

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Try Riddex. You buy it online. We discovered it years ago when renting and had your problem. Would never be without it.

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Hey L.!

That can be very disturbing.. call PestPro @ ###-###-####... they are a family owned business and will treat you right! They know exactly what to do to get rid of them. Tell them T. Folsom sent you. And by the way, YES, they will eat your wires and everything they can... you need to get them taken care of as soon as possible. T.

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First let me say I have a sureal fear of mice and rats. When we were building our home there was a lot of construction in the area and I just knew the mice were going to follow. I went on line and got an electronic device and plugged it in in the attic before moving in. I don't remember the company I used, but I googled electronic pest devices and it possibly was www.pestrepellerultimate.com . Let me say first of all most people say these things don't work. We have been in our home for seven years now and have not had a problem. Some of our neighbors have, but we have not. Our unit has a dial on it and I turn it up as high as it will go. You can hear it if you are in the attic but not in the house. It was somewhat pricey (about $100) but for me it was worth it. This is not the same as the little units you see occassionly on TV and in some stores.

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This happened to me once in the apartment I was living in during college. We were told to turn on the dryer often and it would shoo them out of the dryer vent. It worked for us. I guess they didn't like the heat or the noise. We didn't have any problems after that. Good luck!
L.

That happened to me recently. It was so loud in my walls that I swore we had a chupacabra in our attic. Anyway, don't hesitate to use poison. 9 times out of 10 they WON'T die in your house. The way the poison works is that it dehydrates the mouse/rat so that they leave your home in search of water. Then they die outside of your home. The only reason they would stay in your attic is if they have a water source, such as your a/c. But if that's the case, you have bigger problems than just rodents.

Good luck!

find any holes in any walls,baseboards no matter how small fill it in with steel wool. they will not eat through it.place some of the solid rat poison into the holes before plugging them. hope this helps. S.

Whatever you do, don't use rat poison because they will die in your walls. When that happens the stench lasts for a few weeks (personal experience). Call a pest control service as soon as possible!

I feel your pain!!!! except out problem was rats coming in. The city made the people mow their lots behind our house. We also called pest control companies. We could have paid a lot of money to have them come in or do it ourselves. The best thing that you can do is put out poison from the feed store. Put it in the attic under the house wherever (where the kids can't get to it) and definitely behind your fridge. If you notice any small holes in the wall around the floor put steel wool in them and put out sticky traps. Also, it is a good idea to put some regular wooden mouse traps out and bait them with tootsie roll. Pest control companies will charge you a bundle to come out and do the same thing. I promise this will take care of your problem. You need to be aggresive now as they are probably settling in for the winter.......ewwww, I know. We did all the above things and have nipped the problem and fast too. Oh, if you have any outbuildings, shop or storage be sure to put the poison out there too.I don't know why we had to deal with this either, I was very distured as well. I'm just glad that they are gone!!
Good luck to you.

Blessings,
J.
http://J..yoursmh.com

There is a bait/poison that makes the rats thirsty while they are dying. The point to have them leave your house in search of water. My enighbor was telling us about it when I mentioned I didn't want to find dead mice/rats if we baited. We live in a 4-5 yr old neighborhood and have battled with mice/rats the whole 3-4 yrs we've been here. Best of luck.

L.,

We had a similar problem not with mice but with squirrels who had made my attic their home! The noise was terrible and we had to finally seek professional help. Try crittercontrol.com. Its a bit expensive but you should get those mice out before they chew out your wood and wires.

Thanks.

I had a horrible mice problem several years ago. You need to get a professional exterminator. We did not have any luck with traps or do it yourself type stuff. A professional is needed. And get one soon. They breed at an alarming rate. I recommend US Pest. They are in Mesquite. Also, mice typically nest within 25 feet of a food source. One day I opened the bottom drawer of my dresser and there was a pile of dog food in it. There was also dog food in one of my boots. They were getting into the dog food bag and carrying it off and hiding it. You might also want to check around your furnace and water heater. I noticed some trash one day under the door of the water heater closet. They had made a nest under the water heater out of trash from the bathroom trash can - and I had been scolding the dog for this! It was a gas water heater and the pilot was lit. I was lucky the house didn't catch on fire. Removing any food sources will help. We had to buy a heavy duty plastic container for our pet food. Hope this helps.

You HAVE to hire a professional! From what you describe, it sounds like your house is now infested. When you actually see a mouse, it is usually already really bad. The sensor is not a permanent fix. You could do that after pest control comes to deter new critters. The steel wool is a step to take after your house has been treated. We had this same problem and tried many humane ways to deal with it, but they kept coming back. We now have the pest control come quarterly. We have a baby and a dog and there are safe treatments if that is your concern. We don't have any issues with any kind of critters at all now for several years....whew!

Dear L.,
First let me say, I am so sorry about your husband. I have gone through the same thing, off an on for 6 years. I believe in restoration and I know the Lord does as well. My husband and I are together today and are in process of restoration. I really encourage you that if you want your relationship restored keep your eyes on the Lord and pray that your husband will be miserable in his sin and release him to the Lord. If you need to talk to someone please feel free to email me at any time. ____@____.com, your question about the rats. This too I have gone through. The first time one died in our walls and it was a mess. My husband began to cut holes in the walls trying to find it. Thank goodness he started in the closet. It had come down through the walls I suppose looking for water because it was right behind the bathroom sink. It was a challenge trying to get rid of the smell. We didn't want to put poison up in the attic with worry that they would die in the walls. I have a friend whose husband is in the pest control business. He recommends using the plug in devices. My understanding is that is sending some type of wave through the wiring of the house and keeps the rats and varmits out. We didn't get one right away. But this season I heard something up in the ceiling, my husband went to Home Depot and got one of the devices and I haven't heard a sound since. These devices will not only keep them out but will chase them out. Good luck! S.

My husband and I own a pest control company. We work the Corsicana area, but would be more than happy to drive to Wax. if you would like. We can also give you a quote over the phone.

Mice/ratts are very nasty and they can cause all sorts of damage. I urge you to contact a pest control company. You can try to purchase stuff at the local store, but make sure you locate their point of entry and block it. If you don't others will come in and it will be a terrible cycle.

Could be mice and/or rats, but could also be squirrels. If you call an exterminator they can get you some bait traps that work really well to put along the perimeter of your house. If it is squirrels, though, they are a little tougher to get rid of because you have to find where they are getting in. My DH and I found a mama squirrel and babies in our 2nd story attic after scratching kept us up at night. She was getting in through a GI-NORMOUS hole in the siding from a gas line going out to the pool heater from inside our house. The exterminator thought it was rats, but it was the squirrel. Anyway, get somebody over there to help you find out what it is, because all of the above will eat your wires and pee all over your insulation - YUCK!
Good luck!
L.

Ok have you never seen the show Verminators? Look it up they go after roof rats that climb the tree and onto your roof and into your home. You need to call a good exterminator there going to have to see where thier getting in and put mesh around any holes sealing the rats out then the need to clean up the area in the attic that the rats or mice are at they leave a trail of feses and urine to let the other rats/mice where to go, then traps need to be set. And that should take care of your problem. HTH

mice and rats have a type of bone structure that inables them to fit through ANY space they can get their little heads through. So, don't think even the smallest hole is too small. we had some little field mice (i don't know what they really were but they were pretty cute really) that came to live in our house once. I think it was actualy a mom and some babies. anyway, one thing i've read is that they don't like peppermint. You could try saturating some cotton balls in peppermint oil and putting them in the attic or whatnot. i did this but can't be for sure if it really worked or not. we did have a fresh smelling house for a little while though as the peppermint oil moved through the house and smelled great! LOL i'd watch doing this in hot summer months though...essential oils have "flash points" which are the max tempurature they can be under before evaporating off or possibly combusting. the peppermint oil i buy for my business (i make bath and body products) has a flash point of 163 degrees far. So i'm not talking about a 90 degree day. Anyway, that's one trick. we eventually got rid of this little family of mice just by putting out the sticky tent traps but you have to watch those carefully b/c the mice/rat can get out (i bet a rat even quicker since they are bigger). i even had caught one in the sticky trap, them put it in a shoe box so i could carry it away and let it go FAR AWAY but i left it for a short time in teh box while I did something and came back to fidn it had gotten loose of the sticky trap AND eatten through the shoe box to live another day in the house. i later caught the sucker again the same way but promptly took him to the park! LOLOL anyway, i do NOT like the traditional snap spring traps. my father in law put some in the attic and i later went in there months and months later and found the remains of a mouse/rat (can't tell it was so old) that had died a yucky death and no one checked so who knows how long it was in there. If you use any baited trap though, i've heard that mice and rats like food they are familiar with so they may not take the bait. You need to use something that is sticky a litlte though if you bait b/c they will grab and run before getting caught if they don't have to work a little at getting the bait. peanut butter is supposed to work.

OH one last important point is that wild rodents can carry a very nasty virus called Hantavirus. if you find a nest and have to clean up anywhere that they were be sure you wear a face mask. the virus is airborn when you mess with their nest material/bedding, poo or urine areas. wash your hands well. Chances are the mice/rats in your wall don't carry this virus but you can't be for sure. It was first noticed several years ago (in the 90s) when a big outbreak of the virus came up in some western states but it's found in at least half the states now. don't take chances- wear a mask. better yet, just get an exterminator.

good luck!

Don't use posion. They will die in your walls! Use traps and glue boards.

Also you need to find the entrance to your house and have it sealed. We are in the process of that now at our house.

Get a couple of neutered/spayed cats. Rats can climb/chew into anything. You could hire an exterminator. Could also be squirrels hanging out in your house. Yep, they chew through most items too.

Call a pest control that deals with rats & mice. Call one and they can recommend someone if they don't deal with it. Good luck!

You need to get an exterminator. Fast!!

Ameritec pest control

Call an exterminator!

In the meantime, go to Home Depot and buy sticky pads to put under your furniture that will trap the one inside your house.

This happened to me recently. One got into our house. I was able to add rodent control to our pest service for a small additional fee. Well worth it for my peace of mind. We were able to trap the one in the house and shut off the room it was in until the exterminator could arrive to dispose of it. Now we have traps in our attic and outside the house and they come check them quarterly.

P.S. Our pest service (ABC) did not recommend the stuff that makes them thirsty as they could possibly find a source of water in your house and then die inside.

We've never had a mouse/rat problem (thank goodness), but we did have a raccoon in our chimney and we used Cridder Catchers. Before calling them, you might try ammonia - you can buy jugs of it at any grocery store. Poor a little in soda bottle lids and put it around in your attic. Most animals hate the smell of ammonia because it smells like a predator's urine. Wait 24-48 hours to see if you still hear the mice. If you don't hear/see them any more, then go all around your house and spray ammonia at any opening - attic vents, exhaust pipes, even around the foundation if you want, etc. Spray all around your attic too until you can't stand the smell any more, then close up your attic. (I recommend you wear a work mask and goggles to avoid eye or throat irritation for yourself). This should keep them away for 1-2 weeks. Keep spraying until you can figure out where they were getting in and block their route in. (This is all advice the Cridder Catchers guy gave us to keep the raccoons out of our chimney & attic.)

I would say HIRE A PROFESSIONAL! I had a friend with this same situation. They would only scratch around at night...in her bedroom. Hard to sleep right? Anyway, one of them got caught in the walls apparently and died....this is the worst smell you can imagine! It was awful, and right by her laundry hamper, so every time she would go to do laundry she would gag!

Rats and mice normally get into the house through the connecting wires that lead from the utility poles to the attic or if you own a pier and beam foundation house through there.

The best bet is to get mice and rat posion that makes them thirsty - what it will do is make them leave their nest inside the house and go outside for water and they will eventually die.

Or hire a pest control service to take care of the issue.

Good Morning L.,
We just moved into a new home with empty lots next on each side of us and the mice were tring to make our home theirs as well. The bad news is they breed in the cold weather and are finding places to nest. Yes, they will chew up and distroy anything! If you have a brick home they are most likely coming in through your weep wholes. You need to block those entries with either steel wool or get covers. We ordered "Retrofit Weep Hole Vent Covers" from this website but haven't installed them yet. http://www.wildlifecontrolsupplies.com/Merchant2/merchant...
Sorry to sound so negative but that's all the little creatures bring. We also have bait in the attic and around the house along with sticky traps from our pest control guys. Good luck and God Bless.

A little about me: New to Prosper, Work from home mom of 3 girls (4, 6, 9) and married for 11 years.

There is a big infest of mice and rats right now. We have traps outside our house and in our garage. We have been catching three a week! I am not sure there is much you can do if they are in the walls. I would put traps in your attic and around your house. My mom's friend had mice and rates inside her house and she just had to wait until they died. Anyway, good luck.

put some glue boards out where you saw the one mouse...you catch them and then they won't DIE in your walls...

When our first house was built in Frisco, I heard mice running above the ceiling in our master which didn't have the 2nd floor above it. If you house has weep holes, the mice can easily fit into the weep holes and then climb between the bricks and indoor walls. We has our exterminator come out and he put poison outside then later came back and stuffed the weep holes with steel wool so that the house would still breathe but rodents couldn't get in. The goal is to wait to stuff the holes until the mice are dead to avoid them dying and smelling in the walls of the house. You hope that they eat the poison and die outside.

Oh, boy - You need to get them under control SOON! Mice can slip through cracks or crevices less than 1/2 inch wide and yes, they can scale ANY wall inside or out, and yes, they will chew wires. You may find the nest in the attic, but then again you may never see it because it's in one of the walls (probably that one behind your bed). You need to get an exterminator out there. I know it's not going to be cheap, but you will waste money on the store bought stuff and THEN have to spend money on an exterminator. They are worth it - they will find where they are getting in and seal those places off and will do all that stuff you don't want to do, crawl around in the attic looking, removing bodies, etc....Now is the time of year homes get invaded because it's getting cold, and if they are chewing wires it could cause a fire. PLUS, they WILL get into your kitchen and your food. You do NOT want mouse poop where you eat, and they carry LOTS of diseases. My last suggestion, for long-lasting mouse control, GET A CAT OR TWO. A good mouser is worth his weight in gold!!