WhatYou Can Do To Prevent and Control

Transcription

1 Orange County Vector Conol Disict Disict Office: "Ji3lL,"#S:af ffi f,':ii, Phz (714) (949) Fax: (714) WhatYou Can Do To Prevent and Conol DearResident: Your active participation is essential in the battle to conol rats in Orange County. This pamphlet, entitled, "What You Can Do To Prevent and Conol Rats," explains the habits of roof rats and discusses ways homeowners can help in the shared responsibility ofrat conol. Trapping and chemical conol alone will not achieve long term rat conol. Only after the conditions that allow rats to thrive and reproduce are removed will aps and bait have any impact. After the harborage and food sources have been removed, yourproperty should be maintained in such a way that the rats will no longer find the place atactive. At the same time, you should be aware of conditions in your neighborhood that may be providing conditions favorable to rats. We routinely inspect neighborhoods to findotherproperties providingrats with suitable habitat, but we need your help. An effective way to get rid of rats around your home is by working with your neighbors. Contact and organize the people in your neighborhood. As a group, you can make your neighborhood a place rats will avoid. Once the atactive conditions have been eliminated, the chemical conol of rats may be performed by a Certified Vector Conol lnspector, if you sign the Release of Liability form. You may elect to conol the rats by your own means. The Orange County Vector Conol Disict can also arrange a speaker for your neighborhood and provide fliers or brochures. Thank you for your cooperation, Orange County Vector Conol Disict S nrinted on recycled paper Comments: Inspector: Extension: Orange County Vector Conol Disict (7r4) (949) 6s4-242r

2 ADMINISTRATION OF THE DISTRICT GENERALINFORMATION The Orange County Vector Conol Disict is a special disict serving all of Orange County. The Board of Trustees meets regularly on the third Thursday of each month at the Disict office. All meetings begin at 3:00 P.M. and are open to the public. At each January meeting the Board elects a President, Vice-President, and Secretary. The Board employs a Disict Managerto carry outthe policies established by the Board. WHAT IS A VECTOR? A vector is defined as an organism which is capable of ansmitting disease or causing discomfort to humans. In addition to conolling rats, the Orange County Vector Conol Disict is involved in conolling mosquitoes, fire ants and flies. Other vectors are conolled as the situation warrants. Theroofrat(Rattusrattus)isthemajorproblemspeciesinorangeCounty. Thisagile rat is slender with the tail longer than the head and body. Roof rats frequently enter buildings and move about neighborhoods by using utility lines and fences as runways. The roof rat prefers to feed on wild bird seed, pet food and many of the fruits and nuts (including those that people do not eat) commonly found in residential backyards. DISEASE Rats and their fleas are capable of ansmitting a variety of human diseases. Among the diseases ansmitted by rats, bubonic plague is perhaps the best known and the most serious. County residents are fortunate because there have been no outbreaks of plague in recent history. The potential of such outbreaks could increase if rat populations are allowed to increase unchecked. Murine typhus is another rat-borne disease that exists in certain areas of Orange County. This disease, like plague, can be ansmitted by rat fleas. Roof rats also may be involved with the ansmission of a variety of filth diseases in areas having poor sanitation. WHENSHOULDYOUTRAP? Trapping rodents is an acceptable and humane method of conol. Trapping is especially desirable whenpoisons cannotbeused, suchas nearfood, orwhere small children, domestic animals, or livestock are present. Traps should also be used indoors where there is the risk of a poisoned rodent dying in an inaccessible area, possibly creating a serious odor problem. Hanta virus has been detected in populations of wild rodents in several areas throughout Orange County The Orange County Vector Conol Disict has an ongoing program involving extensive surveys fordisease occurrence inrats andothersmallmammalsthroughout the County. Illusations by Dennis D. Loughner

3 ROOFRATHABITAT Roof rats may establish nests almost anywhere. Here are some common sites: Grease marks caused by rats'oily fur. E] Wood and lumber piles Barbecues Utility sheds/closets Pool heaters Italian Cypress Algerian Ivy Bougainvillea Oleander Unimmed palm ees Unimmedyucca Creeping fig Any heavy shrubbery Rat droppings on fence top. Roof rats will eat almost anything, but they do have preferances. Here are some of their favorites. f] Bird seed E Pet food left out Snails E E Livestockgrain Pet droppings n tl Nuts Avocados oranges Tomatoes Fruiting ornamentals RECOGNIZING ROOF RAT ACTIVITY The homeowner should be alert for these signs of roof rat activity:. Damaged, partially eaten oranges, avocados, or other fruits.. Broken snail shells under bushes, on fences, or near nesting sites.. Signs of gnawing on plastic, wood, or rubber materials.. Greasy rub marks caused by rats' oily fur coming in repeated contact with painted surfaces or wooden beams.. Rat droppings are usually signs of significant rat activity. The droppings are randomly scattered and will normally be found close to a runway, feeding location, or shelter. Droppings are dark in color, spindle shaped, and about l/2 inch long.. Droppings found in forced air heaters, swimming pool heater covers, and water heater closets.. Visual sightings on utility cables, tops offences, or in ees. \ ry Orange damaged by roof rat gnawing. =L Rat Droppings

4 BUILDINGMAINTENANCE Roof rats can enter a home through small exterior openings of less than one inch in diameter. Important steps a homeowner can take to exclude rats are inspecting and repairing:. basement windows and ventilation ports. attic vents and louvers. gaps between roof and chimney. vent pipes and shafts. tile roofs alons the eaves All access openings should be screened with l/4 inch galvanized hardware cloth and inspected at least once a year for condition. Gaps around pipes and elecical conduit should be sealed, and cracks around doors anq windows should be weatherproofed. Tree limbs should be kept well away from the eaves. roof. and exterior walls of the house. NOTES FOR HOMEOWNER ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMEN Roof rat survival and prosperity is dependent upon the existence of these three basic environmental conditions:. abundance of food. available source of water. access to suitable harborage Good environmental management practices supplemented by the wise use of rodenticides are the most effective approaches to roof rat conol. Sanitation and good housekeeping are the first steps in a successful rat conol program. The homeowner can help conol rat populations by doing the following:. Harvest oranges, avocados, peaches, apricots, plums, walnuts, and tangerines as soon as they ripen. Pick up all fallen fruit.. Never leave uneaten pet food outside overnight.. Keep pet food in sealed metal containers if stored in the garage or other outbuildings.. Keep palm ees and yucca plants well immed. Algerian ivy, oleander, bougainvillea, and other thickly matted plants should be periodically thinned and immed well away from roofs, walls, fences, utility poles, and ees.. Store wood and lumber piles on racks at least 18 inches above the ground and 12 inches away from walls. Storage boxes housed in utility sheds should be stacked close together and in an orderly fashion. Clean up debris piles.. Repair leaky faucets and eliminate any other unnecessary standing water. When renovating the yard and/or planning new landscaping, undesirable landscape vegetation should be eliminated from the plans and replaced by vegetation types that do not afford harborage to rats. A list of altemative landscaping (e.g., ground covers) is available from the Disict upon request. Properly stored wood and lumber. 6

5 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT - Keep Rats Out - Check YourHouse and Yard Periodically for Rat Atactants Utility Cypress /,**la Overgrown Ivy or Creepins Fis D--l- -' f\ t\ t )\ )l Warped or MissingShingles Gaps f and Sides Garage Door Garage Openings or Roof Overlaps \1 Chimney and Roof Missing or Torn Vent Tile Louvers?h',.4', ', t l'1.4 ' '{f^il 7T:"ii / Vegetation AlongWalls \. Crawl Space l-1.r..,l. :l Uncapped Block WaIlFence \rs Furniture

6 TRAPPING Rat aps may be used in the yard and inside buildings with good results. Wood snap aps are inexpensive, give positive results, and eliminate the possibility of a poisoned rat dying in an inaccessible area. Rat carcasses within a sucture can cause serious odor and fly problems. When apping outdoors or in an unsecured area, cover the ap with a plastic laundry basket. Several aps may be set at once for maximum effectiveness. The following baits are most atactive to rats:. Mice -. Roof Rats - Peanut butter, bread, raisins, bacon, sawberry jam. Peanut butter, peanut butter mixed with raw oatmeal. fresh fruit. marshmallows, jellied candies, nut meats (walnuts, almonds. etc.) Anchor Rat Snap Trap Attach to wood surface or use l2"xl 2"x1/2" plywood as an anchor For best results, y several different baits to see which is accepted most frequently by rodents. If fresh food is abundant for the rodents, use a bait somewhat different than what is available to them. These baits should be kept in fresh condition for best results and should be securely fastened to the igger. Traps should be placed along known rat runways such as fence tops and walls, where rat activity is evident. Securely anchor aps to an immovable object to keep any apped animals at the placement site. Trap placement in beams and rafters. HOW DO YOU ADJUST SNAP TRA Befbre baiting the ap, check for sensitivity of the igger. The ap should be sensitive enough to snap closed when the rodent feeds or otherwise touches the baited igger, but not so sensitive as to snap if roaches or other insects come in contact with it. Trigger sensitivity can be checked by lightly touching the igger of a set ap with a screwdriver. If the ap does not snap, the metal igger tab can be bent outward to make it more sensitive. If the ap is too sensitive, the igger tab can be bent inward. HOW DO YOU SET A SNAP TRAP? To set a snap ap, apply recommended bait to the igger. Pull back the bail with your thumbs. Hold the bail in place with one thumb while attaching bar to the igger tab. Carefully place the ap as recommended above. Better results are usually obtained if two aps are set side-by-side. HOW DO YOU PREBAIT TRAPS? It is also a good idea to prebait, that is, use a baited but unset ap so that the rodent can become familiar with and start feeding on the baited ap. This requires only two or three days, afier which the aps can be set. HOW ARE TRAPS MAINTAINED? The working parts of the ap should be oiled occasionally using mineral oil, never peoleum based oils. Peoleum oils may act as a repellent to rodents. Never store aps near insecticides or other chemicals, or handle domestic animals or pets before setting out aps. These also can cause aps to take on a repellent odor. bdtt prop.rly placed ap at floor level. l0

7 CHEMICALCONTROL * * * lo^l_low ALL LABEL DTRECTIONSAND * * * PRECAUTIONS WHEN USING ANY PESTICIDE! RODENT PROOFING YOUR RESIDENCE Rodents in the walls and attic of your home are unnerving and unnecessary. your house, garage, and sheds are favorite nesting places for rodents. These unwanted guests will set up housekeeping, rear their young, chew on elecical wires, feed on pet food, and anything else within reach. Most rodenticides presently available for rat conol are anticoagulant formulations that require several consecutive feedings to reach a lethal level in the rat's blood. Anticoagulant rodenticides currently are being used by the Disict as part of its ongoing roof rat conol program. If the homeowner wishes to purchase rodenticides, commercial brands are available at farm supply stores, nurseries, and hardware stores. An Orange County Vector Conol Disict Inspector can advise the homeowner on ap placement, bait choice and effectiveness, and other rat conol information upon request. Should the homeowner wish to seek the advice and assistance of a licensed pest conol operator, the classified section ofthe telephone directory may be consulted under the heading "Pest Conol." PROPER DISPOSAL OF A RAT CARCASS Using a plasti" Uug, ptu"" your hand in the bag like a glove, pick up the carcass with the bag, invert the bag or turn bag inside out, tie a knot at the end of the bag, and dispose of rat in a ash container with a secure lid. Another reason to discourage rodents from sharing your residence is the possible chance ofdisease, not to mention the panic some people experience upon discovery of rodents indoors. Those overlooked or unnoticed holes and openings are invitations to rodent shelter seekers. Here is a checklist of common rodent accesses and basic rodent proofing. Rodent proofing is an easy "Do-It-Yourself'project. The average home can be rodent proofed in one to two hours by a homeowner with average skills using common tools. All supplies needed are inexpensive and available through your local "Home Improvement Center." Suggested tools needed:. Hammer. Staple gun. Pliers. Screwdriver. Putty knife. Ladder. Tin snips. Portable drill. Measuring tape ACTUAL SIZE HOLEARAT CAN ENTER ACTUAL SIZE HOLEAMOUSE CAN ENTER TRAPPING AND CHEMICAL CONTROL ALONE WILL NOTRID YOUR PROPERTY OF RATS. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND BUILDING MAINTENANCE ALSOMUST BEPRACTICED. Materials needed:. 1/4" Hardware cloth (sold by the yard). House vent insert. Crawl space vent. Stucco or plaster patch. Bronze or steel wool. Door threshold. Door weather sipping. Flashing (sheet metal). Wooden snap aps. Metal ash can (for pet food). Sheet metal screws. Expanding foam filler t2 l3

8 OUTSIDE PROBLEMS BEFORE PIPES. WaterHeater. Outside Water Main. All Small Holes Repair with stucco or plaster patch. Screen. VENTS. Subfloor Vents. Attic Vents (or Louvers). Crawl Spaces ROOF & PLUMBING. Chimneys. Turbines. Plumbins e@or ṯ_-- : ffi g n f-1 /"/ Fffi 6@@ {-- A. Attic Vents - Staple l/4" cloth frominside. B. House Vent lnsert - Repair or replace. C. Crawl Space Vent - Repair or ace with tieht fittine screen. A. Toilet Vent - Screen off wtth 1/4" hardware cloth & hose clamp. B. Chimney - Screen off with spark arrester. C. Heat/Oven Vents - Screen off. D. RoofTurbines - Screenofffrom. Garage Eny. Garage Door DOORS A. Install door threshold (to eliminate gap). B. Tack weathersipping or old garden hose to bottom of garage door. C. Wood lath,l/4" ROOF. Overlaps. Missing Shingles. Attic Vents A. B. C. Screen off any openings. Fill small holes with stucco or plaster patch or steel wool. Replace shingles. INSIDE PROBLEMS. Stove Hood Vent. Behind Counter Openings. Under Sink rtoopf A. Stove Hood Vent (from outside/ roofonly). B. Patch around water lines coming into home. AIR CONDITIONERS POOL HEATERS POOL SHEDS BLOCK WALL FENCE A. Vents - Stuff with steel or bronze wool. B. BlockWalls-Caporseal. C. A/C Vents - Use hardware cloth.