Bernalillo County, Albuquerque Rat Control Situation:
Hi, My name is Anna and I am a graduate student at American University in the Interactive Journalism master's program. For my investigative reporting course, I am working on an in-depth story about DC's rodent problem, in particular how the Wildlife Protection Act of 2010 may or may not affect how the District's rat population is managed in the future. The story will be turned in to my professor and presented to my classmates. I understand that you provide catch and removal services in the Albuquerque NM metro area. I'd like to learn more about the brown rat, particularly habits/adaptations to the District's urban environment. Also, I'm curious about the science behind the Wildlife Protection Act. Even though it is highly unlikely that rats will be protected, how would relocation vs trapping and killing change how the rat population is managed? One of the main issues presented by Mister Herman of the National Wildlife Control Operators Association is that the language in the law is too subjective in that it doesn't distinguish what types of rodents are protected, if any. Some suggest that the rice rat along with the deer mouse could be harmed by the law. Dr. Hadidian of the Humane Society was quoted in a WTOP article saying that he hasn't heard of rice rats in the area in his 30 years at the organization. People have had a strong reaction to this legislation and I'm trying to understand the controversy from all angles. I would like to speak over the phone sometime in the next week or we can discuss via email. Please let me know if this is something you are willing and able to do or if you have any questions. Thank you and I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Anna
Albuquerque Rat Control Tip of The Week
Will A Rat And Her Babies Nest In An Attic?
If you have a possible rat infestation in your home, chances are that rats and her babies are nesting in your attic. These rodents have a special liking for dark places with small holes where they can reproduce and there is no better place to do that in your home than your attic.
Unlike other parts of every home, attics are places with little to no source of food. So you might be wondering why they would go all the way there just to stay. Once the rats in your home decide to move into your attic, their primary objective is to go and give birth to their babies. With their short gestation period of just 22 to 28 days, you will be having an average of 10 babies from just a single mother. This shows how rapid rats can breed in your attic when allowed to.
Having realized this, you need to get rid of the rats in your attic whenever you seek out to remove other animals nesting there too. Apart from breeding in your attic, rats are very destructive. Within just a short time, they can wreak havoc in your attic by creating cavities in and around your attic.
To remove the rats and her babies nesting in your attic, all you have to do is search your attic carefully. Although, this can be a very difficult task because rats are good at creating hideouts when they want to nest. As a result of this, you might need to consider other removal methods such as the use of lethal traps, rat poisons, and sticky traps which are often inhumane methods.
If you are not too comfortable with the use of these methods, the best thing you can do is hire a wildlife removal expert to help you get rid of the rat and her nest of babies.