Rat Infestation in multifamily unit in McKinley Park, Chicago
Rental Property Investor · Chicago · Member since 2017 · 15 posts · 4 votes
Hello!
I recently bought a multifamily in Chicago. During the inspection we noticed some mouse traps and a few mouse droppings--no big deal. Recently, the tenants started complaining of loud noises in the walls and air ducts, stuff being knocked off counters, and chew marks throughout the kitchen. I sent a pest control company out and they put down some glue traps and they are supposed to be going to the property weekly for a month. Yesterday, I got another call from a tenant who saw a large rat walking right over a glue trap without sticking and they're still hearing them in the walls. Im getting impatient with the company I used because they're aren't returning my calls. What is the best way to remove the infestation, or what is the best way to screen a pest control company?
Rat infestation is a big deal - and when you see it prior to buying, it's time to let that problem be solved by that owner. It's a process and can be a lengthy and costly one. The first step is to find out how the rats are getting in the building in the first place. This normally requires securing all openings with metal mesh. If there is a space the size of a quarter, a rat can flatten his body and get in. (Don't ask me why I know all this - I'm not bragging but definitely disgusted. Ugh!). Then droppings are cleaned up and removed; they serve as a road map for other rats that the coast is clear - come on through. Then traps are placed. Glue traps - geez...I don't think so. Scares me that company used those in the first place.
Most companies who specialize in this have a separate division for it. All the national franchises do - it's not like spraying for ants. And, companies we use return to check traps usually twice a week. And, again, you don't trap until you know how their getting in and that has been resolved.
You need a more aggressive and knowledgeable company.
Thanks for the responses! The only good thing the company did was seemingly identify where they are getting in. Somebody responded to me privately and gave me some resources. So I spent the weekend trying to resolve the issue myself Here's what I've done and I hope it works:
1. I patched some broken concrete where the rats had burrowed into the house.
2. I placed poison traps around the exterior of the house
3. I placed snap traps in the units. The pantry areas and ventilation.
4. The entry points in the individual units I covered with wire mesh and either new baseboards or subfloor.
At this point I've invested so much of my own energy, I want to see if I can fix it. if none of that works, after a couple of weeks, I'll hire someone new.
Rats can enter any hole 1/2" or bigger. Double check your property and make sure those are sealed. Use hardware cloth (wire mesh) to seal areas, make sure crawlspace doors seal shut. Look for any vegetation that allows crawling onto the building.
Now it is time for trapping. Candy bars make good bait. Snap traps are ideal.
Inform your residents of the process. Traps should be in the path that the rats are taking.
Try not to seal the path into the units or you could end up with dead rats in the wall.
Someone needs to be on hand to go through to clear traps and set new traps.
Hope this helps.
Luke, sorry to hear you're having this issue. I am part owner of a wildlife control company in Georgia. I recommend you find a pest control company that can perform a full exclusion of the property. They will basically seal the roofer's gap of the home with metal flashing and patch any crevices in the foundation where rats can enter. They will also but wire mesh over any vents or pipes that lead into the home. Just setting traps without doing an exclusion will rarely work. Rats nest near their food and water source and they are very leery of new objects in their environment. If they have free access to their food source, they will rarely touch a trap, because there is no need to risk going near the new thing in their environment. By getting an exclusion done, you create a scenario where nothing can get in and nothing can get out. This eliminates their free access to their food source, which is typically outside the home unless your tenants are hoarders. Now that they can't leave, they get hungry. With hunger comes higher risk behavior, like checking out that trap with the bait on it. Typically within a week you can trap the entire population. Be sure to get a sanitation of the infected areas as rats carry a plethora of diseases that cause risk to tenants and pets. Also, avoid poison! When rats get poisoned, they separate themselves from the pack to prevent infecting the others. Its one of their natural defense mechanisms. They will often isolate themselves in a wall and die there, stinking up the place for weeks. Good luck!