We be beginning shortly...
Roof rats - cont.
- Locate the lines:
- locate the shadows
- locate the crannies and corners:
Be the hunter
Be able to read a room, building backyard and etc. be the hunter. How do you read say, a back yard...Look to the fence, notice the lines and look for rubbing, it is important to be able to read your environment.
Rodents do have control of their scat and urine, mice use urine to communicate.
Lush landscape = Roof Rat
Habits: why:
a. Great cover
b.stems,leaves for water
c.slugs/snails
Trapping/baiting strategy for the Roof Rat
keep track of how many males, females and how many are pregnant
why pay attention to the males and females = general ratio of 1:1
Note Pregnant females with teets - this will tell you how many juveniles are still at the facility, she has a mate and this means she will stay close to home, this is for maximum survival of her young. You now have a zone to focus on. The house mouse in this same scenario, your zone is about 10 feet.
The greatest success tip for trapping:
Location based on high activity areas
Based on awesome inspections
- look for heat sources
- ask the customer where the warm zones are (anything motor or electrical driven)
Bring the traps to the rats, don't wait for the colony to find them.
to pre-bait or not to pre-bait:
That is the debate:
Pre-bait for 3 days vs. Trapping immediatly
come back in 3 months and count the rats
Count the callbacks $$$
Rats will leave pheromones within the rub, this is effective communication for the rat
What is the best bait?
there is no best bait, certain colonies may not want protein at the time, maybe they will be in the mood for carbs. Use 4 different kinds of baits, each representing each food group.
is tying on your bait to the trap a good idea? YES
Try natural foods i.e. nuts, berries,snails,slugs and etc.
remember rats are cognitive thinkers
Thank you very much Mr. Corrigan, you really captivated the audience!