Oh, rats!
Those squirrels, bats and other critters in your attic are driving you nuts? You’re hearing the pitter-patter of tiny feet or the gnawing of little teeth soon after you grab that best-selling book off the nightstand to read a little at bedtime?
Well, don’t go bonkers, at least not like the gray-haired guy at a Sports Authority store in Atlanta this month. He was so mad at a big gray squirrel chewing on his house near a huge window that he bought an $85 pellet rifle to shoot it. Warned that he’d probably miss the squirrel and hit the window, he shrugged and walked fuming to the checkout counter, willing to take the chance.
It’s that time of year when cooler weather sends critters of many kinds scurrying for warm spots to nest–and raise new generations to drive you batty.
Squirrels are the biggest pests, followed by rats, mice, bats and flying squirrels, said Don McGowan, senior wildlife biologist for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources.
Squirrels have a couple of litters every 12 months. And the babies remember where they were born–and come back.
The often annoying critters can sense winter coming as early as August and find small holes just beneath the roof.
They can “sense that it’s warmer inside” than out, said Steven Castleberry, a professor and wildlife management expert at the University of Georgia, and so move right in.
The best way to keep them out is to plug any holes. If you haven’t done it yet, you should soon, because this is the prime season for critters looking for warm spots.
Helen Pilewicz heard scratching sounds in the attic of her home.
“My husband stuck his head in the attic and assured me there was no damage being done,” said Pilewicz, 53. “Then one day I was sitting in the living room and the lights went out. A squirrel chewed through some wires in our attic.”
They found where it was wiggling in–two tiny holes on the side of the fireplace–and plugged them up.
Holes in a house can be fixed with hardware cloth, caulk or other materials. But trying to get rid of rodents can be dangerous. Most folks just aren’t adept at crawling around dark attics or standing on tall ladders.
Rats and mice also are a problem, Castleberry said. They can find holes in the basement and crawl all the way to the attic on water pipes or exhaust pipes and through small openings.
Rat poison works and might also kill squirrels, but that presents two dangers: The sick rodents might stagger outside to die, then be eaten by a pet, or die in your house, creating a “terrible stink,” said Ron Harrison, a pest expert with Orkin.
Loud music seems to scare critters away, but not classical, which they like, says Laura Simon, field director for the Humane Society of America. She also suggests strobe lights called a squirrel evictor.
“Exclusion is the answer,” she adds. “Plug the holes.”
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Be advised, there are limits to what you can do. Most municipalities have laws governing the discharge of firearms, he said, so shooting pests is not recommended. Some animals are protected or cannot be hunted outside of season.
“If you indiscriminately put out rat poison in your yard and you end up killing squirrels, birds, dogs, cats, then you would probably be in trouble,” McGowan said.
If squirrels die from eating poison you put out in your attic, you’re in the clear, but you might have to live with the terrible smell.
The law encourages “humane” traps, but they need to be checked daily or the critters will die. “People having pellet guns to get rid of squirrels is a pretty common thing,” said Castleberry. “And none of the repellents work. You just have to plug the holes and small crevices and cracks,” which they see as challenges to their chewing power.
Richard Floyd, owner of One-to-None Pest Control in Marietta, Ga., says squirrels must be kept out or “they’ll show their aunts, brothers and sisters how to get in. Trim bushes and trees. Electronic chirpers that make sonic noises help but won’t completely keep them out. They’ll chew on your wires, and sometimes electrocute themselves. They’re not that smart.”
Many companies handle pests, most without killing them, at least not at your home. Prices start at $300 for a simple job. Tough jobs cost more.
Nearly everyone has a story. Karen Klare had a squirrel die in a wall.
“The smell goes on for years,” she says. “But now the holes are closed. My husband crawled all around nailing everything down. He’s 58, and my hero.”
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Keeping critters out
Inside the house
– Regularly inspect for droppings, rub marks or burrows.
– Use traps. Some are humane, most aren’t. Many traps will catch the animals alive, but if you don’t let them out within a day or so, they’ll die.
– Poison usually works for rats and mice, sometimes squirrels. They often try to get outside fast to get water but sometimes die in walls, leaving a smelly problem.
Outside the house
– Regularly inspect for droppings, rub marks or burrows.
– Seal holes and cracks in your home or garage that are larger than 1/4 inch. Hardware cloth (strong wire mesh) can plug such holes.
– Remove debris from near the foundation of the home.
– Trim branches and bushes that hang over the home.
– Inspect your chimney for wildlife and install a cap.
– Insulate around exterior plumbing.
– Install exclusion caps on vent pipes and dryer vents.
–Cox News Service