What has been successful in eliminating rat colonies from old home sites where nests are in basement/attic between interior and exterior walls?

If your in an area where neighbors are close by nothing you do will control it, unless your neighbors are also.

We had rats all around our yard/house and we called someone in to set bait traps. They worked like a charm and I haven't seen any for a while. But if I do I will call the guy in again. He put this poison that they eat in these black boxes and it kills them soon after. It may be a matter of maintaining. If they come back I make the call!

Make sure they put the traps outside if you see the rats outside otherwise you may smell the decomposing animal if it dies somewhere not accesible inside your home. The rats we had were mainly outside but I suspected they were coming in the walls because I could hear chewing noises.

I rented a storage building while we were building our new house. About once a week I would place decon pellets on the floor and in a few days they would be gone. Never saw a rat or mouse, dead or alive.

The poison is supposed to make them thirsty and they will try to find water, which should prevent them from dieing inside the house.

I had a rat in my garage and then it got in the kitchen via the connecting door. I tried the stuff that makes them thirsty. It certainly worked on that rat. First it chewed through my dishwasher sump and then through the washing machine hoses. I had stored the bait in the garage in a plastic container and it helped itself to the box by chewing through the container. I went to the local hardware store and bought some good old spring traps, baited them and had a dead rat within 12 hours.

The first thing that must go is the water source. If you live near a creek or a river, well thats impossible. Baiting is a very good way, but rats are bait shy by nature, so you have to get acceptance. Why don't you email me at john@ripbugs.com or go to my web site at www.ripbugs.com and let me know the incidentals. I am a licenced exterminator.

we had problems with rodents after we bought our home. We planted some Marigolds around different places, and no more rodents. Its something about the smell that they cannot stand. Once we tried the poison where they search for water--and they are suppose to leave the house--instead the rodent died up in our
airconditiong/heating duct and decayed and our entire home stunk for days so bad-our furniture, clothes, everything smelled like rotten decayed rat. When I read on the internet a more humane way to get rid of rodents by using Marigolds, we used it, and it really does work. We plant Marigolds all around our house, our outside buildings, beside our outside deck, everywhere, alongside our privicy fence. no more problems.

Thank you for the responses. We've researched more since initial posting--there's a great book from NYTimes bestseller list titled 'Rats'. Also found online videos.

A really informative video is at:
http://www.co.san-diego.ca.us/deh/chd/vector/vrats.html But it doesn't give much hope for truly eliminating them.

The marigolds are a new idea, but what happens in the winter when they dry up?

We also had foundation dug down and any cracks filled. These vermin can squeeze thru a hole no larger than 1/2 inch! And they can burrow down thru ground and up through floors-even cement unless it is reinforced special concrete mix.

More BAD NEWS: they're everywhere--even the White Housse. It really is control--not elimination. We've really come to respect these verminous creatures for their intelligence and persistence. We're thinking Jack Russells or 'rat terriers' . . .