We Have Rats!

This is one of the reasons we get called out to homes. People thinking that rats have gotten into their heating duct system. I have,over the last few years, literally, been out on at least 100 calls for rats in a system. Out of these 100 calls I’ve yet to find rats inside a heating duct system. When i get to the home in question the answer is always the same; the smell is in this end of the house. If a rat were to die inside a duct system the smell would go through the entire house when the system ran. Considering the smell is only out of one or ducts points me to the conclusion that the rat has died on top of the duct and not inside it, and after some inspection this is what we have found to be true. There are disinfectants used by Power-Vac companies but unless rat droppings are found inside the ducts it’s money we don’t need to spend. You have to remember that in a forced air system there is warm air being blown through the ducts. I f a rat were to ever enter a duct system it would most definately go into a return air duct where there is no forced air. The only thing my customers with rats can do (if we were unable to find the carcass) is to wait until it has decomposed and the smell goes away. A couple little pointers on rats; they don’t like steel wool so if you can figure where they are coming in stuff the hole with steel wool and that will keep them out. Many customers tell me they lay traps but never catch any rats. Rats aren’t stupid but either are we. What you need to is to firstly lay out unarmed traps. Use peanut butter they love it. Do not arm the trap. Let them get used to the traps for about 4-5 days, then arm them and get them outta your homes forever.