by Richard Fagerlund
Scripps Howard News Service
Q: My daughter has a terrible problem with large rats. They have dogs so they don't want to use poison. They use giant traps, but can't seem to kill them all. When the holes are boarded up where the rats get into the house they just chew another hole. Is there a kind of poison that could be used that won't affect the dogs? The dogs do not eat the rats. Sometimes they kill them, but they don't eat them. What can we do about this problem?
A: I don't trust any rat poisons so I can't recommend any. The best method is to continue to trap them. Use more traps and make sure you don't handle them without using gloves; the rats will detect the human smell and avoid the trap. Perhaps you can place some mesh screening on the boards to deter the rats from chewing new holes.
If the rats persist, you may want to hire a professional to come out and rat-proof your home. I can't describe how to do it without seeing the property, but a competent pest control operator should be able to help. Just don't let them use any rat baits.
Q: I live in a small cottage. My attic is my only storage space. It is my linen closet, my china closet for the extra dishes that come out when company comes, and the only place to store books I can't part with which don't fit into the limited bookshelf space in the house. How can I get rid of the silverfish that want to live and thrive on the cloth and paper I have stored?
Do they also eat the wood of my house itself? I am in the process of replacing all my cardboard storage boxes with plastic containers, but these do not seal tightly enough to keep the bugs out of the containers. Perhaps I should put everything into plastic bags before enclosing them in the plastic container boxes. I'd really like to get rid of these bugs!
A: Silverfish do not eat the wood, so that, at least, isn't a problem. There is a very good bait available for silverfish called Niban Bait. It is made from boric acid and also works very well on cockroaches, crickets and some ants. Put your property in plastic containers and then sprinkle some Niban in the containers. The silverfish will eat the bait and not your books and papers.
If you can't find Niban locally, you will be able to obtain it online. There are a number of distributors that sell it.
(Send questions for Richard Fagerlund to University of New Mexico Environmental Services, Physical Plant Department, 1818 Camino del Servicio N.E., Albuquerque, NM 87131-3500 or e-mail fagerlun@unm.edu.)
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