Photo Album: Homeowner in New Brunswick, NJ Screams Rats!
That's How They Got In!
With this infestation, I noticed a chewed-out opening in one of the walls and discovered that the rats had gained access through the garage by gnawing through the wood trim behind the fridge.
Locating Every Entry Point
I also found another hole behind the slop sink in the laundry room. Finding the rats' harborage areas is important for targeting treatment.
Time to Bait and Trap Them
I treated the burrows with a residual dust. When the rodents come into contact with the dust, they will groom it off their fur and ingest it - and soon thereafter, it's lights out! I also placed several rodent bait stations inside the garage and secured several bait stations around the home's exterior perimeter where the rats were first gaining entry. Rats will follow the same pathways over and over, so they will inevitably be tempted to enter the bait traps or at least return to their burrows that have now been treated.
Preventative Measures
After allowing the treatment to take effect for two weeks, I returned to temporarily seal the rodent openings with some expandable foam.
Making it Harder for Them to Get In
I also used hardware cloth as a temporary solution to really make sure the rat's don't get in! The homeowner will have a contractor revisit in one week to permanently seal up all entry points.
Sealed Tight!
For this homeowner, the rat nightmare was finally over, and he was most appreciative of my efforts.