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Chemmie

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I'm starting this for my own good, but I suppose it will end up with lots of additions. I have some extra money from my tax return and have to get some work done around the house.

1. Rat Control- I have rats in my attic. I had one guy come out and he plugged up the holes and set some traps. They were gone for a few weeks, but seem to have found a new way in. I'm going to need a full attic cleaning to make sure they don't come back. Does anyone have any pest control/rat control services that they recommend? Anyone ever use Truly Nolen?

2. Landscaping- I have trees all over my home, which most likely adds to the rat problem, and need them trimmed back. I would also like my front lawn (a small area) re-sodded and have some new plants put in. Any landscaping references?

3. House Siding- Within the next few months, we'd like to remove to old aluminum siding from our house and replace it with either wood or some kind of hard plastic. Does anyone have any siding references or even recommendations for the type of siding to get?

Thanks! Please leave as much info as you can.

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I'm starting this for my own good, but I suppose it will end up with lots of additions. I have some extra money from my tax return and have to get some work done around the house.

1. Rat Control- I have rats in my attic. I had one guy come out and he plugged up the holes and set some traps. They were gone for a few weeks, but seem to have found a new way in. I'm going to need a full attic cleaning to make sure they don't come back. Does anyone have any pest control/rat control services that they recommend? Anyone ever use Truly Nolen?

2. Landscaping- I have trees all over my home, which most likely adds to the rat problem, and need them trimmed back. I would also like my front lawn (a small area) re-sodded and have some new plants put in. Any landscaping references?

3. House Siding- Within the next few months, we'd like to remove to old aluminum siding from our house and replace it with either wood or some kind of hard plastic. Does anyone have any siding references or even recommendations for the type of siding to get?

Thanks! Please leave as much info as you can.

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I had rats in my attic, too. I tried setting glue traps but when I went to open the trap door, the glue trap fell out and hit me on the head. (Apparently they were flopping around up there, trying to get loose from the trap, and they landed on top of the trap door.) It had two rats on it, one dead and one alive.... that was enough to make me call in the professionals!

I finally decided on Massey. They charged about $400 for a one-time fee to come in and seal off the attic with chicken wire and so forth -- which is a little high, but then I was desperate and wanted the problem solved immediately. (It would probably be much cheaper to find a good neighborhood handyman service. There is one in College Park that I have used frequently -- Pete Reddy, PJ Reddy Enterprises.) Afterwards, Massey placed traps up there as an added measure, and came out periodically to check the traps.

From then on, on a monthly basis I paid $30/month for regular pest service. I started out on a one year contract and now I'm month to month and can cancel at any time. I have decided to maintain the service, even though I don't really have a bug problem, because Massey is one of the few companies that will come out multiple times per month at no extra charge to either check the traps or remove any creatures that get stuck in the traps. If I thought I heard funny noises in the walls or attic, they would come out the next day and do an inspection. And that did happen several times later in the year. I haven't had a rat up there in about the last year and a half.

The thing is, they can seal off the attic but then the rats can find other ways to get in. They leave a scent trail and then they keep hunting for ways to stay on the trail that was created by rats before them. If your house is up on pilings (like mine), it's possible there are multiple points of entry under the house, where they can get into the walls and then travel up to the attic. In which case the best method of prevention would be sealing off the bottom of the house as well. I can't afford to do that yet.

It will be a big job.... Massey has told me that baby rats can slip into cracks as wide as a quarter...

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

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I had rats in my attic, too. I tried setting glue traps but when I went to open the trap door, the glue trap fell out and hit me on the head. (Apparently they were flopping around up there, trying to get loose from the trap, and they landed on top of the trap door.) It had two rats on it, one dead and one alive.... that was enough to make me call in the professionals!

I finally decided on Massey. They charged about $400 for a one-time fee to come in and seal off the attic with chicken wire and so forth -- which is a little high, but then I was desperate and wanted the problem solved immediately. (It would probably be much cheaper to find a good neighborhood handyman service. There is one in College Park that I have used frequently -- Pete Reddy, PJ Reddy Enterprises.) Afterwards, Massey placed traps up there as an added measure, and came out periodically to check the traps.

From then on, on a monthly basis I paid $30/month for regular pest service. I started out on a one year contract and now I'm month to month and can cancel at any time. I have decided to maintain the service, even though I don't really have a bug problem, because Massey is one of the few companies that will come out multiple times per month at no extra charge to either check the traps or remove any creatures that get stuck in the traps. If I thought I heard funny noises in the walls or attic, they would come out the next day and do an inspection. And that did happen several times later in the year. I haven't had a rat up there in about the last year and a half.

The thing is, they can seal off the attic but then the rats can find other ways to get in. They leave a scent trail and then they keep hunting for ways to stay on the trail that was created by rats before them. If your house is up on pilings (like mine), it's possible there are multiple points of entry under the house, where they can get into the walls and then travel up to the attic. In which case the best method of prevention would be sealing off the bottom of the house as well. I can't afford to do that yet.

It will be a big job.... Massey has told me that baby rats can slip into cracks as wide as a quarter...

Good luck and let us know how it goes!

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Wow. It sounds like you had the exact same problem. My house is also on a crawlspace and I think I have heard them in the walls. I caught 5 myself, then I finally called the professionals, too. I called the "OrlandoRats.com" guys. While they were here, they sealed up holes around the outside and placed some traps. They came back a couple weeks later and picked up the traps, with only one left over. So, we thought that would be it. Wrong. Started hearing noises again and put my traps back up. I only caught one, though, and it's been quiet. I'm assuming they are finding a way in from the bottom.

I was thinking of getting somebody out to do the attic cleaning, where they come out and vaccum up to rat poo and spray some stuff down. The Massey service sounds good, though. $30 a month doesn't sound like much for a little piece of mind. I think I'll give them a call.

For the $30 a month, do they also spray for bugs? Or is it just for the rats? Also, they keep the traps in your attic at all times and come once a month to check?

THANKS!! I was really hoping that somebody else had a rat problem. Luckly, they have never tried to get in my actual house, just the attic. It's gross to think about actually having rats, especially since our house is kept very clean. Now I need to get rid of the raccoons, possum and snakes.

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THANKS!! I was really hoping that somebody else had a rat problem. Luckly, they have never tried to get in my actual house, just the attic. It's gross to think about actually having rats, especially since our house is kept very clean. Now I need to get rid of the raccoons, possum and snakes.
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