Hey everyone!
After hearing midnight scurrying above my bedroom, I discovered a rat colony nesting in my Texas attic insulation. My DIY failures:
A pro finally used thermal imaging (350)to find 38 entrypoints and installed one−way exclusion flaps (2k). Now rat-free but broke. How can others avoid my $3k mistake?
Never seal entries without exclusion devices! Trapped rats will chew through wires. Use 1-way valves for 7–10 days. DIYers: Infrared cams rent for $50/day at Home Depot.
Used live cage traps but babies starved. Now I play distress calls on Bluetooth speakers, rats fled in 2 nights! @AtticPro Does this harm pups?
Dry ice in garbage bags suffocated 15 rats humanely. EPA fined me $1k for ‘unauthorized fumigation.’ Cheaper to hire pros? Maybe. Ethical? Debatable.
Relocating rats = Class B misdemeanor in Texas. Fines up to $2k. Exterminators must euthanize on-site. Film their work, 20% violate protocols!
Rats Love fiberglass, it’s nesting heaven! Replaced mine with cellulose spray + boric acid. Rodent-proof and cuts energy bills.
Rat dander triggered my son’s asthma. HEPA air scrubbers ($200/week) saved us. Pro tip: Seal hvac ducts before disinfecting!
Distress calls stress pups to death. Use synthetic pheromone diffusers instead, moms evacuate litters safely. $120 on Amazon. Humane and EPA-approved!
Fake owls = waste of 80! Hung mylar balloons instead. Reflective Movement Scared rats. 5 fix > $2k pros.
Dry ice killed rats but left corpses in walls. Maggot infestation cost 4k to remediate. Pros Charge 300 for corpse removal, worth it!
Great post, @ilecbar15 thermal imaging seems like a smart start. A buddy of mine rented one for cheap and pinpointed hidden gaps in no time.
@AtticPro That synthetic pheromone diffuser tip is next-level. I used it for field mice, and they cleared out in three nights flat.
Tried dry ice before and had the same corpse-in-wall fiasco. Definitely calls for pro removal, $300 is worth not dealing with maggot city later.
After sealing, replaced insulation with cellulose + boric acid. Not only rodent-resistant, but it also lowered my heating bill.
@AllergyDad Sick kids are no joke. HEPA air scrubbers are miracle workers for post-removal cleanup, especially around HVAC.
Mothballs gave me headaches too, never again. These days I go with exclusion first, then bait as a backup if needed.
Insulation pushed aside? Use wire mesh under the new stuff. Rats can’t chew steel, and you’ll sleep better knowing it’s bulletproof.
Playing calls is clever, but you’re right—it might stress mom rats. I like combining scent-based and exclusion methods for safer results.
Fake owls didn’t faze them, but shiny balloons did. Reflection movement seemed enough to freak them out from the rafters.
Exclusion first, then cleanup, and always monitor for a month after. That’s how you win the war.