Rat Information

Code Enforcement Overview | Common Violations
Eyes and Ears | FAQ's | Rat Information

The best way to keep spaces free of rats is to prevent rats from finding shelter, water and food.

Keep garbage cans tightly closed.
Commercial dumpsters must be kept closed. Order additional pick-ups if necessary.
Store fire wood, building materials, and similar items 18 inches off the ground or on ratproof concrete.
Eliminate debris in and around buildings and grounds.
Don’t keep piles of brush or leaves where they can hide. Check your compost pile for rat holes.
Trim weeds and brush and keep grass short (3 inches or less) to minimize cover and food.
Don't leave pet food out overnight.
Eliminate water sources available to rats.
Close outside doors tightly when not in use.
Pick up after your dog; rats eat dog feces and will take it to their nest to feed their young.

Baiting

When the situation permits, poison provides the most cost-effective approach to rat control. Select a poison with ingredients that work in the particular situation. Correct bait placement is crucial to effective baiting. Proper placement insures rapid rat control and protects children, pets and non-target animals.

Owners are responsible to contract for and / or provide extermination where rat infestation occurs on private property.

Trapping

In sensitive areas where you can’t use poison, traps are valuable. Traps also prevent rat deaths in inaccessible areas. The more traps the better. Bait traps with gumdrops, peanut butter, bacon, fish, nuts, meat or dried fruit. Store traps away from insecticides and chemicals that may impart a flavor because rats have a keen sense of taste.

Rules-of-Thumb

Rats are fearful of new objects in their territory. It will take time for rats to accept traps in their environment.
Place poison in areas not accessible to children and pets. Bait stations add security for children and pets and protect the bait from the weather.
Rats groom themselves and each other about 20% of their waking hours. Poison is ingested during this time.
In areas where rats have been sighted, poison should be placed every 15 to 30 feet.
Rats fit through tiny openings and can gnaw through wood, lead, aluminum, copper, cinder block and uncured concrete. Rats can gnaw through openings as small as 1/2 inch. Patch openings in walls larger than 3/8 inch using gnaw-proof materials, such as steel sheeting, 1/4 inch hardware cloth, galvanized steel and concrete.

Exterminators

Elite Pest Management
586-294-7055
877-4-badbug (877-422-3284)

You can use pellets or bars. Try Just One Bite, Tomcat, or Real Kill.

The City of Ferndale, Michigan
300 East Nine Mile Road
Ferndale, Michigan 48220
(248) 546-2525
City Hall Hours:
Monday - Thursday 8:00am - 5:30pm
Closed Fridays

Click here to send your feedback to the City of Ferndale.

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