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Rat vs Mold

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A Tall Of Rats And Mold

I received a frantic call from a homeowner that had a rat running around her condo on Siesta Key. The rat had been:

  • eating her fruit on the counter,
  • getting into her trash,
  • chewing on the couch &
  • leaving droppings and urine everywhere.

We responded and did a complete inspection of the condo.  It appeared as though the rat was coming and going thru a hole under the dishwasher in the slab. We tried to take the dishwasher out so we could seal the entry point but the tile had been installed after the dishwasher, so it was basically built-in.  We finally got the dishwasher’s feet turned down enough to clear the counter and tile, allowing it to clear enough to be slid out.  Or so we thought as the copper water line had no slack for us to pull the dishwasher out. So, again we are at a stand still.  A plumber was called to remove the dishwasher so we could seal the entry points.

Since we could not seal the entry point right away we set numerous rat traps throughout the condo to capture and remove the unwanted pest.  Continuing the inspection of the condo, we went into the guest bedroom where the home owner was concerned that there might be something in the water turn off area since we found an opening under the dishwasher already .  She opened the closet and went to move a few items that were stored in the closet and wow, were we surprised.

It appeared as though there was a leak of some sort coming from the water turn off area.  The wall was covered in black mold. We removed the panel to the water turn off area and there was definitely a leak, and it was still leaking. Water was just running out of the cast iron pipe.  I advised the homeowner that she needed to call the management company and also a plumber again.

Everyone Working On A Solution To Be Rat And Mold Free

At this point the rodent was the least of their concern.  This leak had been going on for sometime because unfortunately it was in a closet in an unoccupied room, used only as storage and rarely looked at.  The management company sent out a mold specialist and a plumber and everyone is working together to get this homeowner “back-to-normal!”


 

 

Hire A Professional

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Critter Intruders: Why You Should Hire a Pro for Removal

At some point, almost every homeowner will find an unwanted guest in his or her home, and I’m not talking about a stepmother. These intruders can be anything from insects to larger mammals, such as raccoons or opossums. If you find yourself having a superfluous visitor in your home, you may be tempted to try to deal with it by yourself. However, this approach can often end up backfiring on you and creating more problems than it solves. The best approach is to hire a professional to remove the animals from your property.

Misinformation Misleads

It can seem easy to get rid of these pests, but if you do not know what you are doing, you are not likely to succeed. There are all sorts of misinformation available about how best to get rid of animal intruders, and so trying to use this advice will likely mean failure. You may even end up attracting more animals than you had in the first place. A professional service is going to know exactly what does and does not work, and so they will succeed the first time.

A professional animal removal service can also safely transport the animals away from your property so that they will not return. It is not enough to just drive away one animal at one point in time. You need to take steps to make sure that they do not come back again in the future. A professional service can help you assess your property so that you will know what attracted your unwanted guests in the first place. This way, you can make changes to ensure that they do not return again. With their years of experience in dealing with these pests, a professional service can give you lots of great pointers that you might not have thought of.

My Own Experience

As a homeowner myself, I’ve experienced problems with squirrels in the attic – This is one of the most frustrating problems to have, especially since it means that my roof contractor performed his job inadequately. Nevertheless, after many unsuccessful and harmful attempts at ridding of these pests, I called a professional. Everything was done humanely and securely, ensuring that the squirrels would never return.
Since they’ve been around it for so long, most pest control professionals are also very aware of these types of structural problems that cause infestations. So as far as the roof goes, that problem has also been taken care of. Not only did I benefit from the service, but I made out in the long haul as I was able to take care of structural problems that may have decreased the value of my home upon resale.

But the most important reason to hire a professional involves that of your family’s safety. Although furry and sometimes cute, wild animals are also quite dangerous. Professionals are trained in dealing with these animals and have the proper equipment and protective gear that is needed to safely remove them from your property. If you try to do it on your own, you risk injuring yourself and potentially contracting an unpleasant disease. Do not put yourself or your family at risk. If you are dealing with unwanted animals in your home or on your property, call a professional removal service right away.

By Erik Braunitzer, courtesy of Douglas Elliman Real Estate, agents for New York City Apartments.