Photo Album: Rat Invasion in Seaside Park Home
Rat damage in Seaside Park, New Jersey
Usually, during these inspections, you'll see signs of rodent activity other than live animals. Rodents tend to hide when not foraging for food, but they are messy creatures that leave behind a trail of evidence, especially fecal droppings, burrows, and nesting materials. I was expecting to find signs of a mouse infestation, but during my inspection found evidence of a rodent that most of us find to be even more disturbing - disease-carrying rats! During my inspection, the first sign of a rat infestation were droppings behind washer and dryer. Fecal identification is important to determine the type of animal infesting the home. Also, the volume of droppings is a good indicator of how big the problem is. A rat's fecal pellets are rectangular, about 1/2 to 3/4" long, with blunt ends. They are generally found in small groups. The droppings of a house mouse are much smaller, granular in shape, about 1/8 to 1/4" long, with one or both ends pointed. These rats had also carved out burrows and pathways in insulation covering the basement floor joists.
Rodent bait station installed in Seaside Park
Rat infestations are a serious health hazard, and I was determined to take care of this problem expeditiously. I treated the pathways and burrows with a tracking powder and placed rodent bait in their burrows and nesting locations as well. Rats tend to travel over the same pathways, and there would be a good chance that these rats would come across the tempting bait. I also set rodent bait stations in the basement and around the outside perimeter of the home as well as snap traps and glue monitors throughout the basement. I also inspected the basement and exterior for possible rodent entry points.
Rodent monitors in Seaside Park, NJ
I set up a follow-up visit to inspect the traps and monitors that I had set. During the follow-up, I observed that rats had been eating the bait. Rats will not die immediately from the bait, and they often die outside of the residence. However, I did find one dead rat in the basement. It's final resting spot was, of all places, between two conga drums. Maybe he was trying to "bang out" a message to his fellow rats that their stay was coming to an abrupt end!. I removed the rat carcass. Everything was going to plan with the treatment, and I am confident that this rodent infestation will soon be resolved. I set up a final inspection date with the homeowner to make sure that there was no more evidence of rat activity.