LAST UPDATED: January 31th 2023
Hi gang, here’s a shorthand action log for your service stories:
KEY (still a work in progress): commas = break in tasks, semicolons = break in service/day, periods = endings, ellipses = cliffhangers
< SHORTER SERVICE STORIES >
THE ANTS/BUGS: (The Ant Motel in Beaverton: 3/13) contacted tenant in 103, he reported spending last season killing ants with bait, I explained why that wasn’t always good, supplied him with bait and better instructions, and then I found and treated 2 very active trails in front and a long slow moving trail along building’s back wall, the house ants are living under the concrete in front and back, and they’re now emerging up, through the cracks, because it’s spring;(Hoyt St. Unit #4: 4/1) – baited smoke alarms, no active trails inside, two found and treated outside; (Lake Fir.Units#3and9: 4/8) – treated active trails in and outside #3 and treated many trails outside #9; (Lake Fir.Units#3and#9: 4/21) active trails found and treated outside #9, treated foundation on #3, tenant in #3 reported that her ants haven’t returned after first hunt; (Quimby Both Units: 4/27) treated foundation, baited active trails in front and back, made an action plan with tenants; (Quimby Both Units: 5/12 treated foundation, baited active trails, tenants reported improvement from first hunt; (Francis Court 3601: 6/12) treated foundation of building, baited perimeter plus active trail near front stairs, also inspected building for entry holes, excluded large gap under crawlspace door (the insulation looked so nice and new inside!) plus replaced 2 broken old screens, and repaired a third that had a rat sized hole; (Arista 14022: 6/21) baited smoke alarm, inspected and found 2 massive trails: a) in front along sidewalk/tree b) leading from back and going under siding near kitchen, treated foundation of building, baited both trails, and gave some bait to tenant with instructions; (Arista 14022: 7/21) tenant reported more activity, scheduled service, no one was home when I arrived in service window, treated the outside for ants; (Tigard “Basement” Ants: 7/23) found and treated 3 large trails around home, two in front and one in back; (The Ant Motel in Beaverton: 8/2) contacted tenant in 101, performed a follow up ant hunt around building; (Hoyt Unit 4: 3/7) treated unit 4 for house ants, tenants reported that last year’s treatment “did the trick” and they hadn’t seen any ants since last March; (Mayo St: 4/6) treated for ants and spiders inside and out, found lots of ants inside; (Qwimby: 5/24) treated foundation plus baited 2 active trails on patio and climbing up gutter; (Maxwell: 4/? and 5/31) treated many many trails around property (two times), including one large trail going from sidewalk to unit 29; (1811 Halsey: 6/7) found and treated many trails around property (mostly in front), spoke with tenant about ants and gave them an ant kit; (4401 NE 129th: 7/14) found and treated a ton of ants and spiders (truly amazing), made a plan to return in 2-3 weeks for follow up; (129th: 8/4) inspected and found that the first hunt knocked out most of the infestation (Leslie confirmed this), found and treated 3 active trails, reapplied foundation treatment; (1413 NE 26th: 8/12) confirmed that the pantry moth infestation I helped old tenant with has ended; (529 NW 18th: 8/12) inspected for entry holes, educated tenants about box elders and spiders, made an action plan; (Hermitage Unit One: 10/28) treated unit for house ants, discovered one active trail coming from exterior wall near fridge…
SQUIRREL/RODENT EXCLUSION AT MAYO: (Initial: 1/31/23) inspected attic and roof, found and marked two squirrel holes, set monitor in attic to determine activity, inspected crawlspace, found and marked one entry hole (broken vent around dryer), set traps in crawlspace to determine level of activity…
FOREST GROVE DUPLEXES: (Initial: 1/4/23) inspected crawlspaces of C and D, found 4 entry holes, discovered evidence of rats, filled in tunnel around waterline with random grave in crawlspace in D, set traps in both and make plan with Jodi, did as much inspecting around A and B as possible (gates were locked), marked one entry hole, set stations outside; (1/17) set traps and marked entry holes in unit A (the dryer vent system is not operable there), checked traps and cleared one rat in unit D (excluded gaps around dryer vent), checked traps in C and found no signs of activity (blocked two tunnels and excluded gaps around dryer vent), checked traps in outside stations….
BEAVERTON 4 PLEX RAT INFESTATION: (Chapter 1: 5/29) inspected property and found signs of rats in backyard and crawlspace, identified a tunnel leading from backyard to crawlspace and another tunnel leading from Unit 4’s crawlspace to Unit 3’s crawlspace, evidence in crawlspace showed a long history of rats, identified food sources (neighbors’ bird feeders, tenant’s bird feeders), asked tenant to remove bird feeder (which she did), filled tunnels, fixed one broken vent, and set traps inside and out; (Chapter 2: 6/8) cleared 6 rats from unit #1, fix 5 broken vents (#4 and #3), set traps in #4,#3, and #2, filled tunnel in unit #1 from both sides this time, set 4 more stations around perimeter; (Chapter 3: 6/16) scheduled with all the tenants, checked traps in all 4 crawlspaces, caught a healthy adult under Silvia’s, inspected my markers and found no signs of movement in or out, cleared 3 rats from traps outside, installed screen for dryer vent, reenforced 2 dryer vents from inside, foamed and excluded the large tunnel outside again (no sign it was breached inside); (Chapter 4: 7/21) checked traps in all 4 crawlspaces, no signs of rat activity, large tunnel was still blocked, set monitors in crawlspaces, cleared 2 rats from stations outside, noted that bird feeders were still up and operational in at least 2 backyards; (Chapter 5: 8/31) inspected exclusion work, checked and cleared 4 rats from traps behind Silvia’s unit, reenforced the tunnel (where I found signs of digging), checked in with Devon on the other side of the complex and didn’t find any signs of rat activity, so I pulled those traps and added them to Silvia’s set up; (Chapter 6: 10/19) cleared 3 more rats from Silva’s yard, inspected for new tunnel and found no new signs of digging; (Chapter 7: 1/5/22) checked traps and found no new signs of activity, inspected property and found no new tunnels, pulled equipment; (Chapter 8: 11/7/22) Silva reported to First Class that rats were in her home, after inspecting I learned that wasn’t true, discovered possible new tunnel in neighbor’s unit, set traps in crawl and outside to determine level of activity, spoke to tenants about feeding the rats, I counted one birdfeeder, one squirrel feeding area, and Silvia’s backyard was full of large dog droppings; (Chapter 9: 11/15/22) cleared 8 rats from my traps, reset and added traps, inspected to see if tunnel had returned, did some minor exclusion work to block new tunnel, spoke to tenants about feeding the rats; (Chapter 10: 1/4/23) checked Silvia’s crawlspace, cleared one baby rat from trap, most of the other traps looked untouched, left traps and bait in crawlspace, cleared 5 baby rats from outside traps, plan to return in three months…
COLONY SQUARE – “The Sludge Pool Adventure”
(Introduction: 10/4/2022) inspected entire interior of crawlspace, set traps to determine level of activity, documented 2 leaks for plumbers, ripped out one rotten crawlspace door, marked roughly 10 entry holes (most of them broken screens and rotted crawlspace doors), (12/3) installed 8 new large concrete style vent screens from inside, cleared 4 rats from traps, reset and added more traps,
RAT HUNT AT MURRAY PLACE – “The Sludge Pond Adventure”
(Introduction: 8/30/22) inspected one of the two infested buildings (because Chris didn’t know where the hatch to the other one was), discovered many signs of rats, marked 4 broken vent screens, marked 3 tunnels, set traps throughout, installed one way door on squirrel hole in other building (recommend replacing the siding, its rotten), made a plan with Chris and tenant; (8/6) checked traps in first building, caught 2 veteran Norway rats (who’d successfully navigated many of my standard traps before they found the peanuts set on my bigger traps), inspected second building and discovered a sludge lake made by an open pipe spilling contents of tenants sinks directly into crawlspace, cleared a path for plumber and myself through fallen insulation and wires, set about 25 rat traps in crawl, marked holes, began search for all entry holes (found one tunnel near sludge pond and one broken vent), inspected one way door on squirrel hole on second building (found no signs of activity inside), talked with Chris about new squirrel hole in first building and recommended that the siding be replaced as soon as possible (it’s super rotted and the squirrels know it), made a plan to use a roll of metal flashing to block squirrel openings/access as a temporary fix to keep the wildlife out until the siding can be replaced (it’s not going to look beautiful); (9/13) talked with Chris about the pond (floated the idea that it might be easier to just let it dry out), checked traps in both buildings (no activity in first! and 5 caught in second with pond), installed 3 new concrete style screens, installed 2 regular screens in vents leading under stairs, blocked 3 tunnels under foundation (all exclusion in first building), reset traps in both buildings, took movies and photos of sludge pond leak for plumber, removed one way door from first wildlife hole in siding (I think it’s birds), worked with Chis to cover it with new siding, installed one way door on second wildlife hole, made a plan for next service; (9/30) checked and cleared 2 rats from sludge pond crawlspace, noted movement in marker through broken vent, helped Chris replace damaged siding; (12/18) received a work order from 4820 (they have been experiencing rats in their unit), this is a new building and I felt lucky that they had a crawlspace hatch, did a full inspection of that half of the building’s crawlspace (the hatch for the other half is in another unit), identified and marked four entry holes, set traps in crawl and in unit; (12/20) checked traps in the first and second building I started with, the first building had one very mummified rat but no other signs of activity so I pulled traps and set a monitor, the sludge pond in the second building was looking much better! but I still caught a relatively fresh rat there; (1/4/23) checked traps in second building and found no new signs of activity, installed one new concrete-style vent (still one more to go in that building), checked traps in 4820 and caught one adult rat, reset traps, inspected the other side of that building, set traps to determine activity, excluded hole in one hard to reach vent screen, made an overall plan with Chris…
< LONGER SERVICE STORIES >
DUPLEX ON HALL – “Rat Tunnels Galore”
(Introduction: 5/17/2022) inspected crawlspace under both units, discovered structural entry holes through foundation next to sewer line, four broken vent screens, and three large rat dug tunnels, replaced all 4 screens, excluded the holes through foundation, set traps inside and out, and made a plan with tenant; (6/2) checked and cleared 3 rats from traps, discovered and blocked 2 new tunnels, noted that tenants cleared firewood from alongside foundation (as I suggested) and blocked one tunnel from outside; (6/18) checked traps inside and out, cleared one rat from inside, cleared 4 rats in traps outside near creek, re-blocked new tunnels exiting towards creek, installed screens on drain pipes leading to crawlspace; (7/12) inspected exclusion work and traps in crawlspace, found no new signs of activity (no new tunnels!), spoke with tenant about new bird feeder, placed monitor in crawlspace and reset traps in stations outside, made a plan to return in a few months; (8/16) checked traps and cleared one rat, discovered and blocked starter holes near creek and under bird feeder…
LAURELWOOD – “More and More Entry Holes”
(Introduction: 3/23/2022) inspected property, discovered 15 broken vents and 2 busted crawlspace doors in buildings and laundry room (many of them didn’t even have vent screens), noted rat burrows along sidewalk, discovered another cat using a crawlspace as litter box, noted raccoon droppings next to laundry room; (3/31) excluded laundry room: build new crawlspace door, build new half crawl door, installed 2 new concrete-style vent screens; (4/5) installed 5 new concrete style vent screens in middle building adjacent to maintenance room, repaired 2 other screens, found a lot of rot in frames (pulled out some of them), also found signs of wildlife, rat, and mouse activity;(4/20) installed 2 new concrete style vent screens in building with unit 5, evicted a cat, blocked one tunnel, set traps to determine level of activity; (5/9) checked monitors and traps in 2 crawlspaces and inspected markers outside, no signs of activity thus far; (5/16) installed 13 new vent screens in largest building, left three open for egress, inspected patios and found a possible rat hunt, set up rodent stations, did an ant hunt, marked open vents in the smaller crawlspaces of other two buildings (scared a tenant who was in her bathroom), and excluded an open sewer drain; (6/1) installed 3.5 large vent screens in middle building, checked traps and monitors in/near remaining entry hole, discovered rodent activity in back patios of back building; (6/20 installed one new screen, rebuilt wood frame around screen, checked traps, cleared 4 mice from outside stations, no signs of activity in crawlspaces; (8/4) installed one large screen, built 2 removable vent screens (with new wood frames) to monitor inaccessible crawlspaces, finally caught 5 rats (one adult, 4 youths) around area with the squirrel feeder tenant (who dumps the wildlife food under the feeder), also caught one mouse, treated one active ant trail, inspected exclusion work and checked monitors, added 3 more stations; (9/9) checked outside stations and crawlspace monitors, no signs of more rats, discovered that 2 of 3 buildings had some signs of mouse activity, set traps in crawlspaces, also found signs of mice in outside stations (near squirrel feeder tenant in back), added more stations around squirrel feeder; (10/28) inspected monitors in crawlspaces, no signs of activity inside, caught 3 mice in stations next to squirrel feeding station, filled possible new burrow along sidewalk, rest traps in stations; (1/11/2023) argh! the rats finally found the pile of wildlife mix the tenant in back near dumpsters has been feeding the mice (found a tunnel under the pallets stacked near foundation in his neighbor’s patio and burrows under the feeder), added stations and reset traps to adjust for rats, the other two buildings are still looking solid…
WILLAMETTE MANOR – “The Inactive Exclusion Infestation”
(Introduction: 4/2) inspected property, discovered 13 entry holes through vents and 5 crawlspace doors with entry holes, found fresh signs of rats, set traps; (Chapter 1: 4/5) checked traps, most of them had been tripped, cleared 2 baby rats from Dollar St. side crawlspace, met Momma rat, excluded/replaced 9 vent screens, 2 of the vents had cables torn by rats (see below), did my best to protect the wires, fixed ductwork going through one vent, put mesh over entry hole from dishwasher in 1669, excluded one tunnel, blocked off interior rat runways around pipes, and set more traps; (Chapter 2: 4/16) cleared 11 juveniles and 2 adults from both buildings, spoke to tenant with squirrel feeder about feeding the rats (told her that she would likely see more rats after I was done clearing and excluding the crawlspaces, because they’ve formed a habit of feeding there for many years), reset traps, and excluded 2 crawlspace doors; (Chapter 3: 4/28) first building cleared and excluded (will continue to check), excluded 1 vent screen, last crawl door on 1st building, cut my way into the crawl door that was excluded by the siding company, inspected it, found another history of rat activity, and spoke to tenant who reported that she saw a rat run across the patio for the first time, I explained that they used to run through the crawlspace on their way to the squirrel feeder, but now that runway is shut down; (Chapter 4: 5/5) rebuilt/excluded 2 crawl space doors, installed 3 new vent screens, cleared one rat from building facing the main street, set traps and monitors in all crawlspaces, and smiled when I noticed that the nice squirrel loving lady emptied her feeder; (Chapter 5: 6/21) noticed that the squirrel loving lady restocked her rat feeder, cleared 2 very dead baby rats from crawlspaces, excluded small new tunnel under a crawlspace door well, and reset traps; (Chapter 6: 8/24) cleared 3 small rats from crawlspace next to squirrel feeder, reported leak, found droppings outside, set up outside stations; (Chapter 7: 9/13) cleared 2 small rats from crawlspace next to squirrel feeder, spoke to Kim and she reported a lot of activity outside, cleared 2 rats from outside stations, fixed dryer vent in vacant unit, did a flea treatment in 1673, inspected crawlspace next to squirrel feeder, set traps inside, and set up more outside stations; (Chapter 8: 9/22) cleared 3 more juvenile rats from outside traps; (Chapter 9: 10/25) cleared three more rats from outside traps, no new activity in crawlspaces; (Chapter 10: 11/19) cleared three rats and one dumb squirrel from outside stations, communicated with tenant (Kim), no new reports of activity outside from tenants or in crawlspaces; (Chapter 11: 1/5/2022) checked and cleared 3 rats from outside stations, inspected all crawlspaces and found no signs of activity in all except the crawl next to the squirrel feeder (which was fully operational), inspected squirrel feeder’s back patio and found fresh rat droppings, installed 4 new outdoor stations around the squirrel feeder’s patio to kill rats and likely some squirrels, set trap in crawlspace; (3/2) checked traps and cleared one large momma rat from outdoor stations, no new activity in crawlspace, had a nice long chat with the bird feeder lady and she’s doing her best to clean the excess bird seed; (10/28) inspected exclusion work and discovered no new signs of activity in crawlspaces (whoop, whoop)!
LAKE FIR APARTMENTS – “Rats in Squirrel Territory”
DECEMBER 2020 – inspected and mapped property for entry holes and burrows, discovered 24 entry holes and 20 burrows, marked holes with green or white bags, foamed burrows, set up 6 rodent stations around property geared for rats; check traps and found that squirrels were running through my traps, but no signs of rats; rebuilt new boxes geared for mice; installed 7 new boxes, cleared 3 mice from garbage area near office, and foamed 5 new burrows around that area as well; also I evicted and excluded squirrels from storage sheds.
JANUARY 2021 – (2/1) checked traps and found more squirrel activity in all traps except those placed behind the buildings in office side of the property, cleared 5 mice from traps and changed attractants, and foamed around gaps on sides of 15 vents.
FEBRUARY 2021 – (2/10) checked traps and cleared 5 mice from traps (same areas as before except one caught in trap across from garden), added 3 more handcrafted rodent stations in attempt to continue my hunt for rat activity, and excluded three broken vent screens.
MARCH 2021 – (3/4) finished accessible exclusion work (1 concrete vent screen and 8 minor repairs on others), discovered burrows near foundation behind #23, checked in with Carolyn, discovered burrows around bird feeders across from garden (set traps and made an action plan with tenant), set 6 new stations along fence between Albersons and unit #15, and caught and cleared 6 mice and one baby rat in existing stations; (3/11) checked and cleared traps: 6 mice, 2 rats, 1 dumb squirrel, and bait feeding in station under bird feeder across from garden; (3/25) checked and cleared traps: 7 mice, 4 rats (large adult caught next to office dumpster), bait taken in station under bird feeder, and 1 dumb squirrel.
APRIL 2021 – (4/8) cleared 6 mice and one fat rat from traps, foamed burrows next to grocery store, treated 2 active trails inside and their matching trails outside in unit #3, treated 5 trails all around unit #8 (especially near pop cans); (4/21) cleared 1 rat, 6 mice, and tenant with bird feeder reported seeing a “dead rat walking” the night before (which explains the bait missing from stations), performed follow up ant hunts around units #3and#9.
MAY 2021 – (5/4) rat the “size of cat” reported dead near the squirrel shed; (5/7) inspected property, cleared 7 rats and 4 mice from traps (3 adults in kill zone, 1 adult and 2 youths along Alberson’s fence), added 2 stations near the squirrel shed, unit #17, and the sand burrows; (5/20) cleared 4 mice and 5 rats (4 from Alberson’s fence and one large adult from woodpile near bird feeder); (5/28) sprayed 24E’s building for ants, baited 5 active ant trails along foundation (and in front of Leah’s unit near trees), gave tenant instructions and extra bait, and cleared 3 more rats from property.
JUNE 2021 – (6/2) spoke to tenant #11 at length about my rodent service, cleared 3 rats from traps in new “kill zone” (between bird feeder and sandy foundation burrows), set up new mouse station next to unit #11, did another full ant hunt and foundation treatment on building with 24E, Leah still reports ant activity, gave her the green light (and bait) to use bait because she’s upstairs; (6/12) Leah in #24E reported to management that she was still overrun with ants after 12 days since initial, met with Leah and her father (who was there because he said he was interested about ants?), found one trail next to trail still feeding on the bait Leah had applied, added more bait, explained the process more thoroughly; (6/17) did a full building ant hunt (including foundation treatment) around #24, found a small trail along walkway nearest garden, cleared 4 rats from traps (3 from kill zone and 1 from Albersons), cleared 3 mice from traps, moved 2 inactive stations behind #11 to the front near parking lot, tenant in #11 asked me to move station because it didn’t look good, so I did…
JULY 2021 – (7/21) checked and cleared traps, cleared 5 mice from back fence near Albersons (no signs of rodent activity from stations set in front next to tenant #11’s car, foamed 3 new burrows behind tenant #11’s unit, foamed new burrows next to Albersons and bird feeders, spoke with her about the rodents tunneling underground, she reported that she hasn’t seen any mice inside or outside, cleared 1 mouse from garden station, cleared 3 rats from stations under bird feeders, cleared 2 rats from behind Carol and neighbor’s unit, cleared 2 rats from alley between Carol’s unit and bird feeder, added 2 stations near office, and noted that a lot of bait was taken from stations next to Albersons; (7/28) performed an initial ant hunt for building with units #9 and #10, many trails found coming from neighboring trees, power junction box, and front sidewalk, also cleared 1 rat from Carol’s neighbor’s backyard.
AUGUST 2021 – (8/5) cleared 2 rats from stations in “kill zone,” cleared 4 mice from back fence facing Alberston’s and 2 in front near #11, foamed one new burrow under sidewalk near Albertsons, checked for ant trails around #9 and #10 and found none; (8/19) talked with Carol and neighbor at far end of building with bird feeder, both reported seeing rats during day acting strange (I explained it was likely the bait), made sure tenants had my number, set new stations based on information, added station in Jen’s backyard (because the station near her door had all bait taken), cleared 3 rats from “kill zone” and 3 from Alberson’s fence line, cleared 2 mice from back fence and one in garden, noted that 3 stations had all bait taken, foamed one new burrow next to Alberson’s, restocked stations and reset traps; (8/22) Analeigh in #16 with bird feeders texted to report that I caught a large mother rat.
SEPTEMBER 2021 – (9/2) inspected property, cleared 2 rats from traps (Albersons and bird feeder patio), foamed new burrows next to Albersons), spoke with tenants about the rats, foamed a new burrow on corner of Carol’s yard (posting up next to the dumpster), added a new station to Carol’s backyard; (9/9) tenant in unit #9 on office side contacted me about a resurgence in ants (her last infestation was knocked out in April: see notes), I scheduled right away, when I arrived I found a few wandering ants inside and out, I treated the outside and advised her to use the bait I gave her “only when she sees that they’re foraging” (and I explained at length what that meant), also checked rodent traps and cleared 5 mice from back fence line and parking lot area, also caught one mouse in rat territory, the only sign of the rats was a freshly dug burrow under the slab the dumpsters sit on across from office, foamed the hole again, reset traps; (9/23) cleared 4 mice and one juvenile rat, no new burrows, everything looking very quiet…
OCTOBER 2021 – (10/14) some bait taken in bird feeder stations, but all quiet on the western front…:)
DECEMBER 2021 – (12/1) checked and reset all stations, still all quiet on the western front! Also inspected 24W for “black bugs,” identified them as drain/moth flies, communicated with tenant and worked out an action plan; (12/15) spoke with Suzan in unit 5 about loud noises in crawlspace, inspected building and found one open vent next to her bbq and one vent in the neighboring unit in need of repair, marked that entry hole and installed a one way door; (12/20) checked in with Suzan and she reported no new signs of activity.
JANUARY 2022 – (1/5) removed one way door and installed 2 new vent screens, inspected all fenced units and found no new entry holes, checked traps and found no signs of activity (like none of them), snuck next door to Alberson’s and saw that Western had a number of stations in back, installed 7 new stations around west parking lot to determine where the rodents invading cars are coming from, hung out with Carolyn (she’s great).
FEBRUARY 2022 – (2/10) checked traps and inspected property, caught 1 mouse and had one station with feeding, no other signs of activity.
MARCH 2022 – (3/23) checked traps and inspected property, found bait taken from mice in one station in old kill zone (great sign that the rats are gone!), no other signs of rodent activity, made and dropped off ant kits for Jen, spoke with tenant about the best ways to kill ants.
MAY 2022 – (5/17) checked traps and inspected property, found bait taken (likely from rats) near garden and old bird feeder (most of the stations showed no new signs of activity), discovered and marked 2 open drains leading to sewer (they were hiding under vegetation that’s now nicely mowed), set new stations near garden and old bird feeder, found and treated 4 active ant trails around property.
JUNE 2022 – (6/20) checked traps and inspected property, 5 stations next to Alberstons had bait taken, foamed three new burrows/tunnels coming from Albersons, moved stations to active area and added traps, no other signs of rodent activity, did an outside ant hunt around 24e (left ant kit by door), treated for spiders in 4e, excluded 2 open sewer pipes, and replaced screen on vent that was long overdue.
AUGUST 2022 – (8/12) checked traps and inspected property, no new signs of rodent activity (minus one caught mouse), refreshed attractant and bait in stations, did an ant hunt, found and treated 2 trails.
SEPTEMBER 2022 – (9/9) checked traps and inspected property, no new signs of rodent activity, treated an active ant trail on westside, treated active ant trails outside of 5E and left bait and instructions for tenants, inspected 2W for spiders and found no live spiders inside or out, gave tenant at 2W a period of instruction on how to prevent spider infestations (which came complete with a demonstration on how to use a vacuum to clear webs and kill spiders), and had a nice chat with Jen.
OCTOBER 2022 – (10/28) checked traps and found bait taken in stations near Alberstons and station behind woodpile near bird feeder, switched bait out for traps in active stations, did an ant service at 18E (tenant reported that most of the activity they’d been experiencing was on patio), no signs of ant activity during service.
JANUARY 2023 – (1/11) checked traps and inspected property, discovered bait taken by mice along back fence line bordering Albersons, in station next to dumpster across from garden, and in two stations in main parking lot, discovered bait taken by rats in usual spot next to Albersons, but most of the stations showed no signs of activity.
TREVOR ANTHONY – “Rats Love Peanuts”
DECEMBER 2020 – inspected property for entry holes, discovered many entry holes and burrows along street side of property; excluded 5 new vent screens, blocked 1 tunnel, built a new crawlspace door, excluded 2 structural gaps near squirrel feeder, and placed rodent stations along street side. Also had a nice email exchange with Kristie about rodent control.
JANUARY 2021 – checked traps and inspected exclusion work, discovered that squirrels ran through the traps in stations, discovered some signs of scratching on the foam I filled a burrow with near foundation (no evidence of breaching), reset the traps (still geared for mice), placed a new station in crawlspace in manager’s building (because it’s less secure), placed a new station under deck in back of manager’s building to monitor activity there.
FEBRUARY 2021 – checked traps and inspected property, no signs of mice or rats along street side, no signs of breaches in exclusion work, discovered 3 new burrows along foundation around wildlife/bird feeding area in back; foamed the new burrows and set another rodent station in area.
MARCH 2021 – (3/19) checked traps and inspected property, caught 2 rats around corner from wildlife feeding station, confirmed that rat burrows I marked last month were active, rearranged stations to dial into activity.
APRIL 2021 – (4/19) inspected property, checked traps and cleared a rat from stations around the corner from squirrel feeder (no other signs of activity), and had a nice conversation with a tenant about the difference between wasps and mason bees, and the difference between exploring and defending behaviors in stinging insects.
MAY 2021 – (5/11) inspected unit #17 for little bugs, didn’t find any, gave tenant a handful of glue board monitors and asked him to send a photo of one when he found a sample of the bug; checked traps, cleared 2 adult rats along side, and foamed burrows along foundation again.
JULY 2021 – (7/28) inspected unit #17 for little bugs again, didn’t find anything but a few spiders in the monitor I asked tenant to set out, replaced bait taken by mice from behind the old crawlspace door in back of mid building, filled 2 new squirrel holes next to wildlife feeding balcony (which has a lot less signs of feeding!), and reset traps tripped by squirrels in stations.
AUGUST 2021 – (8/30) inspected property, cleared 2 rats from stations next to ravine, noted that no new burrows were dug!, checked crawlspaces and found no signs of activity, and did an urgent ant hunt for tenants in unit #1…
SEPTEMBER 2021 – (9/13) met with tenant in 16 who reported scratching in wall, set traps in attic, saw about 5 youths feeding on birdseed in daylight (likely the litter of adults I killed in August), checked and cleared traps; (9/29) cleared 2 more rats from under bird feeders, met with Michael from 14 and inspected their garage, discovered entry holes (pipes with rub marks) leading into walls, foamed one and marked the other, also discovered a gap on right side of door leading into garage which I excluded; (10/15) did a follow up flea treatment in unit #7 and cleared 2 more rats from traps under bird feeder.
NOVEMBER 2021 – (11/29) inspected unit #3 for maggots and found Indian meal moths, set moth traps and made an action plan with tenants, cleared one rat from traps outside and refilled bait taken from 2 other stations, discovered a breach in building with wonky crawlspace door, set traps in crawl and reenforced Homefront…
JANUARY 2021 – (1/5) inspected traps in janky crawlspace door, cleared one rat, reenforced the reenforcement, set more traps in that crawlspace, checked and cleared 2 more rats from stations under feeder, added 2 more stations, secured all outside stations to keep the homeless (or someone) from messing with them.
FEBRUARY 2021 – (2/10) checked traps and inspected property, all bait taken in 3 stations under old bird feeding area, marked a new burrow next to upper left building’s crawlspace door, no other signs of activity.
MARCH 2022 – (3/12) checked and cleared traps, all bait in stations under old bird feeding area and janky crawlspace entry was taken, switched stations to traps, no signs of activity in crawlspaces.
APRIL 2022 – (4/19) checked and cleared 3 rats from outdoor stations, inspected exclusion work and found no signs of breaches, treated unit 14 for an active ant trail in light socket, supplied tenants with ant bait and instructions for future indoor ant hunts.
JULY 2022 – (7/12) checked and cleared one rat from stations, refilled taken bait packs in three stations, reenforced janky crawlspace door again, found and treated three active ants around property.
SEPTEMBER 2022 (9/21) checked traps and inspected property, bait taken from under back deck where squirrels were once fed, one rat cleared from station above my makeshift crawlspace door for back building on left if facing from parking lot…
VILLAGE APARTMENTS – “The Swimming Hole”
CRAWLSPACES CODE: 07, 00, 29
DECEMBER 2020 – inspected the property for entry holes, discovered more broken vents than I could count and many signs of rats (and rat nests) and raccoons in both crawlspaces of 2 main buildings, also discovered a lake in the lower half of the upper main building, marked entries and set fishing traps in both buildings; round #1: installed 14 new concrete vent screens, set more rat traps (all my fishing traps were run through); round #2: installed 7 concrete vent screens to exclude the lower building (and start on the upper), cleared 4 healthy adult rats from upper building; round #3: checked lower building to discover no signs of activity (my free peanuts were untouched), installed 7 concrete vent screens, stopped due to massive flooding in lower half of upper building (I was already swimming, but I wasn’t ready for the deep end), discovered and temp plugged a fat rat tunnel 4 feet from maintenance room hatch, cleared 3 more adult rats, reset and added traps, and repaired one of the broken crawl space doors; (9/22) inspected balcony above rat burrows, placed markers in entry holes above gutter, checked traps in attic and found no signs of activity, cleared 4 rats from traps outside, asked tenants to let me know if the markers move.
JANUARY 2021 – checked traps in both buildings, discovered no signs of activity in lower building (hoorah!), discovered a few trip traps in upper building, repaired crawlspace door on lower building, reset traps and added new attractants, filled exit hole of fat rat tunnel with gravel and foam, installed 2 bait stations around maintenance shed: FEBRUARY 2021 – (2/19) sucked it up and went swimming in the crawlspace (it was waist high on my knees), completed exclusion work: 2 concrete vent screens, refilled rat tunnel under maintenance shed, filled hole under siding in front, installed locks on all 3 crawlspace doors (code – 07, 00, 29), fished 3 more dead rats from upper crawlspace, reset traps, added 3 more bait stations, and inspected the 3rd building for entry holes, and thankfully only found a few burrows in the back, which I marked: MARCH 2021 – (3/19) checked and cleared traps, caught one adult outside next to maintenance shed tunnel, traps in crawlspaces looked pretty quiet! (only a few trips), no activity found in burrows marked in February, refilled last tunnel, and reset traps: APRIL 2021 – (4/19) inspected property, checked traps outside and inside crawlspaces, and discovered no new signs of activity or signs of new tunnel next to maintenance shed! Whoop, whoop! Victory lap! MAY 2021 – (5/18) inspected property, checked and reset traps, and discovered no new signs of activity! JUNE 2021 – (6/16) inspected property, cleared 3 rats from outside traps, reset traps, no signs of activity in crawlspaces: JULY 2021 – (7/29) inspected property, cleared 4 rats from outside stations, discovered a new tunnel and burrows next to bird feeder in front (where the maintenance van is parked), foamed tunnel and burrows to track activity: AUGUST 2021 – (8/26) inspected tunnel from inside and out and discovered that no new tunnels were dug, a few traps and bait was taken inside (something died), reset traps, and dumped 4 buckets of gravel on the soft, shallow, weak spot next to bird feeder: SEPTEMBER 2021 – (9/29) the rats tried to redig tunnel but failed, reenforced the area with foam and gravel and scrap mesh, checked and reset traps: NOVEMBER 2021 – (11/24) inspected exclusion work and found no new signs of activity in crawlspace, caught one healthy rat near bird feeder and area where they tried to breach the exclusion work, checked and reset traps/stations inside and out: JANUARY 2022 – (1/5) inspected exclusion work in crawlspaces and found no new signs of activity, inspected perimeter for tunnels and found no new signs of digging, cleared one rat from station near bird feeder and dumpsters: FEBRUARY 2022 – (2/8) inspected exclusion work in crawlspaces and found no new signs of activity, replaced broken lock and gave key to Sharron, cleared one rat from behind 4 plex: APRIL 2022 – (3/28) inspected and set traps in both annex buildings, found 4 broken vent screens in annex with laundry room, found 2 broken vent screens in manager’s annex plus a tunnel; (4/11) found no signs of activity in annex with laundry room, installed 4 new screens there plus repaired 2 with gaps at top edge, set monitors in that crawlspace, found no signs of activity in manager’s crawlspace, installed 2 new screens, couldn’t block tunnel due to high water in crawlspace, reset traps there just in case: AUGUST 2022 – (8/4) inspected exclusion work, cleared one rat from outside stations, freshened monitors and bait in outside stations, found and treated 4 active ant trails: DECEMBER 2022 – (12/17) inspected exclusion work, checked traps, bait was taken in two outside stations, caught 2 rats in crawl with old drainage issue, inspected to find new entry hole, discovered that the cable guy had pulled cords from an old vent screen (and left an opening, which the rats found), installed new vent screen, set traps in crawl: JANUARY 2023 – (1/26) checked traps inside and out, lots of action in traps outside but no new signs of action inside, breach remediation complete!
HERMITAGE – “Rat BBQ, or Just a BBQ?”
DECEMBER 2020 – Inspected property and found no entry holes in buildings, discovered many burrows: especially around shed/garbage area and back corner of upper building where tenant was feeding birds; placed 8 rodent stations set with snap traps and bait in those active areas (more than doubling the number Halt had there) plus under the walkways, foamed the cracks in the shed door and filled the main tunnel leading into it, and left Halt’s remaining station in place.
JANUARY 2021 – Received a work order to address rat activity on the back patio of unit #7, emailed tenant and she reported seeing many rats eating each other on her neighbor’s barbecue, inspected the patio with the BBQ and discovered a number of runaways and burrows, placed 3 station set with snap traps slathered in bacon grease around patio in hopes of engaging what I’d expect would be an infestation, and then engaged the tenant in a conversation that had more to do with her relationships with her neighbors than rats. For example, she was upset that the bbq was supposedly feeding a mass rat infestation (where the rats were so hungry they were eating each other) AND she was also upset that her “racist” neighbors would bbq too close to the building and burn the building down; returned in 2 weeks for regular monthly service, checked stations around bbq and found no signs of activity, checked other stations around property and found some feeding in station under walkway (probably mice), and reset/changed the attractants.
FEBRUARY 2021 – (Chapter 1: 2/9) Received messages from Shelly about rat activity from tenants in unit 6 and unit 1, followed up the next day, discovered that unit 1 was vacant, checked it for dead rats in back anyway, didn’t find any…but I cleared 2 healthy adults caught in traps along upper building, added 3 more stations near unit 6 for a grand total of 13 stations, and discovered that unit 6 had pickles thrown out near deck as well as large pet cages. I plan to return in 2 weeks to see if my new stations see some action. Also, so far the only activity seems to be next to shed and upper building–and no bait has been taken on property yet–so the 2 reports of dead rats is still mysterious; (Chapter 2: 2/18) Shelly emailed to report that the tenant found the dead rat on patio of unit 9, not unit 1; I inspected all back patios for dead rats and found none, I cleared a mouse from new trap under unit #6 patio, but no bait was taken or traps tripped since last service.
MARCH 2021 – (Chapter 1: 3/19) cleared 3 rats in stations next to shed and under the walkway nearest to shed, some bait taken from station next to bird feeder unit (upper building, furthest from parking lot), discovered new burrow next to walkway (across from unit 1), cleared one mouse from station next to unit 6, still no action from stations next to the BBQ; (Chapter 2: 3/23) 8 rats cleared from traps, added one station next to upper building…
APRIL 2021 – (4/19) inspected property, cleared 2 rats and 2 mice from traps, reset traps.
MAY 2021 – (5/18) inspected property, cleared 1 adult rat, and reset traps.
JUNE 2021 – (6/17) inspected property, cleared 3 youthful rats, and reset traps. Still no signs of activity from stations set next to barbecue.
JULY 2021 – (7/29) inspected property, cleared 1 adult from trap next to shed, bait taken in stations in back of upper building and the station under the bbq (pretty sure it was the same rat).
AUGUST 2021 – (8/3) inspected property, checked and reset traps, only signs of activity was some bait taken in stations in back of upper building (where the landscapers tossed all their branches) and the station next to the shed again.
SEPTEMBER 2021 – (9/29) checked and reset traps, all quiet on the western front.
NOVEMBER 2021 – (11/19) checked and reset traps, cleared 3 young adult rats.
JANUARY 2022 – (1/5) checked and reset traps, cleared 2 rats and refilled taken bait in 5 stations.
FEBRUARY 2022 – (2/8) checked and reset traps, cleared 1 rat (from lower decks!) and refilled bait taken in one station.
MARCH 2022 – (3/12) checked and cleared one rat from traps, no other signs of rodent activity, inspected and treated unit 4 for fleas, no live fleas found during service; (3/28) found and marked entry holes in 2 new crawlspaces on property (found 6 broken vents), checked and cleared traps, inspected the other crawlspaces (at Sharon’s request) for signs of rodents and drainage issues, gave some ant kits to Sharon, and filled a burrow near the bird feeder in front.
MAY 2022 – (5/17) checked and cleared 2 rats from traps, replaced bait taken in 2 stations, and reset the rest of the traps.
JULY 2022 – (6/12) checked and cleared 3 rats from traps, replaced bait taken in 1 station, and reset the rest of the traps.
MAYWOOD – “Cats Vs. Rats”
JANUARY 2021 – contacted tenant in 2731; inspected building and discovered rat(s) entering through a broken crawlspace and then accessing unit under kitchen sink, excluded hole under sink from inside crawlspace (for both units), set traps, marked the exterior entry holes, inspected the rest of the property, discovered that all crawl space doors (but one) were either missing, broken, or had gaps big enough for rats; returned in 2 weeks, built new crawlspace doors with covers, checked and reset traps in 1st building (some activity noted), inspected and set traps in 2nd building, discovered 2 broken vent screens and one large tunnel; returned in a week, checked traps in 1st and 2nd building and discovered no activity, fashioned a screen door for the large crawl space opening on 3rd building, chased out a cat, marked the entry holes in 3rd building, set a few bags of birdseed in 3rd building to determine the level of activity, excluded 2 dryer vents around 2nd building, and excluded the rat sized gaps in the 2nd crawlspace door of 2nd building with expanded aluminum.
FEBRUARY 2021 – (2/1) I inspected the 2 side buildings and found no signs of rodent activity, installed 2 new concrete vent screens in middle building, fixed a dryer vent that was blowing directly into crawlspace, and set markers to monitor building for activity; (2/19) inspected traps and monitors and found no signs of activity, completed exclusion work: 1 crawlspace door/screen, 1 concrete vent screen, and installed 4 new dryer vent covers
MAY 2021 – (5/26) checked traps and monitors, no signs of activity in spite of the fact that someone had left one of the crawl space doors open and pulled my station out.
FEBRUARY 2022 – (2/8) inspected exclusion work, checked monitors, found no new signs of activity!, added some flashing to the sides of the original/surviving crawlspace door, refreshed monitors.
JULY 2022 – (7/26) dishwasher repair guy reported signs of rodent activity; inspected crawlspaces and monitors and found no new signs of activity, repaired broken dryer vent duct.
JANUARY 2023 – (1/16) dishwasher repair guy reported that a rodent had chewed the water line in 2731 again; I checked my monitors in crawlspace and they showed no signs of activity, I inspected the opening leading from crawlspace to sink/dishwasher area and say that I had foamed around the gaps the first time around, the only possible entry hole was a drain pipe that had been replaced but wasn’t capped (see below), set traps to determine level of activity in crawlspace and send emails to tenants to ask them for their story…
MIDMONT STATION #203, #204, #201, and Char Grill – (Chapter 2: 5/12) excluded unit six months ago (12/2/2020), responded to tenant’s emergency (he trapped a mouse in hallway and didn’t know how to get it out of building), let the mouse go in hallway, caught it with my hands, put it in tub, and took it home with me; (Chapter 3: 5/14) cleared another small mouse from under kitchen sink (caught in traps I left there 6 months ago), reset traps, and reenforced exclusion work; (Chapter 4: 6/1) checked traps at 203, the mice are still getting inside around dishwasher, set more traps, inspected building and found a possible entry hole on side of the breezeway (at ground level), excluded it, and asked Matt to text if he sees more activity, or none at all; (Chapter 5: 6/17) scheduled next day service with tenant to deal with mouse in unit, agreed to come earlier than normal, arrived at door and knocked, checked messages and saw that he cancelled the service as I was walking to door, received additional text “please sir go away,” left him traps and instructions, also checked in with neighbor with previous mouse issue, Matt reported no new signs of activity; (Chapter 6: 7/25) Matt reported activity, inspected building again and couldn’t find any new holes I missed (my working theory is they’re house mice living out of restaurant), and set traps; (Chapter 7: 8/2) Matt reported catching 2 mice; (Chapter 8: 11/20) received a work order from Luc in 201, he reported spotting a mouse in unit, we were able to work out an action plan via text message; (Chapter 8: 1/5/2022) checked in with Luc (via text), he reported no new signs of mouse activity since the first sighting; (Chapter 9: 1/22) inspected Char Grill and found entry holes around water line (coming up from underground) and 3 holes in wall, also found a possible hole in back of walk in, excluded all 4, set traps, and made a plan to return to exclude walk in if activity doesn’t end, the story there confirms that the mice are living in wall First Class shares with the neighboring restaurant; (2/11) built movable walls on either side of walk in, set traps on the far side of wall, tenant (Kenny) reported that he’d caught 6 mice in the traps I left last time, he believes the mice are coming from neighbor; (3/14) Kenzie the new tenant in unit 203 reported catching one mouse with my old traps and seeing a second mouse, she hasn’t seen any mice since, there is no signs of infestation (droppings) behind fridge or under sink (once again popping in at random from larger building infestation), I set traps, made a plan with her, and reenforced my exclusion work around dish washer…
< PAST SERVICE STORIES THAT REACHED AN ENDING >
A) The Hoarder/Bedbug Infestation at Cottage Apts – I’m still texting Paul and Eric every few months to ask if they’re seeing bugs. Last check in was in June 2021.
A) The Sewer Rat Infestation on Texas St.
Update (2/7/21): New tenants contacted The Management to report rat droppings under stairs and basement. I inspected and found no new signs of activity. I cleaned and disinfected area where I found moldy old rat droppings; (3/2/22) inspected both crawlspace, and they looked like ghost towns (no new activity)!
B) Old Halt Duplex on Glisan St – (6/21): inspected 20120’s crawlspace and exclusion work, (especially the old rat tunnel), found no new signs of activity, and discovered that the crawlspace smelled a lot less like rats…
C) The Epic Exclusion of Lake Cottages – Inspected property inside and out (crawlspaces: unit 8, 7, 13, 14, 15, 17, and vacant unit 19) and found no signs of activity inside 🙂 3 tenants (Eric, Anna, and Charles) reported seeing rodents outside. Received a work order from Eric who reported that rats had tunneled through the foundation under his window. On 4/20 I inspected the crawlspace and foundation. I found no signs that rodents had breached my exclusion work. Eric and I talked, and I determined that the root cause of the uneven ground under his window was likely the uneven ground under his window (possible sinkhole? see first email reports from epic exclusion). So I staked a piece of plywood under his window so he would be able to wash his windows on stable ground. I also did an ant hunt; (8/5) spoke with Barbara in #12 about rat sightings and possible tunnel breach, inspected and didn’t find any signs of breach, foamed large old tunnel in yard and filled with rocks; (11/19) Janet sent in a work order for house ants, during the service I was able to inspect crawlspace for signs of rodent activity, no signs of a breach (or house ants); (4/6) Janet continued to hunt ants with some success over the winter, as promised I waited for a stretch of good ant hunting weather and treated outside, found tons of trails, ended up treated roughly 8 trails around 4 buildings (Eric’s was especially bad)…
D) Liz’s Bedbug Infestation at Minter Bridge – (3/9/21) No new activity discovered or reported for 2 months. Liz is still worried about bugs, but she says she’s been checking and not finding any.
E) Pardee Apartments: no signs of activity for 2 months. Plan to check monitors in crawlspaces every 3 months or so. Checked monitors on 3/21 and 8/31, and both crawlspaces are still golden!
WALL INFESTATION IN OLD HOUSE ON CAPITAL HWY –
(Chapter 1: 1/27) Inspected unit and discovered that rodent (likely rats) were infesting walls, floors, and ceilings in large old house through an entry area under front porch, discovered fresh rat activity was discovered under stand alone studio in back, built a metal block for door to porch area, marked the entry holes, and set traps under studio and porch inside and out; (Chapter 2: 2/9) Tenants report less scratching in walls, no activity found under porch other than some movement in main entry marker, lots of activity discovered under back studio but no catches, began process of exclusion: tighten up door to main entry with new latch, excluded main entry under studio, filled fresh tunnel/burrow under studio, and foamed around main entry door, also reset traps and added 2 stations in basement, the tenants have been helpful; (Chapter 3: 3/8) cleared one dead adult from crawl below studio, attempted to clear 2nd dead rat from main house, but it died in wall void near heater, set more traps around heater, reset traps under studio and under porch; (Chapter 4: 3/15) checked my traps and found that a few around heater were tripped by a larger rodent, spoke with the tenants about the dissipating dead rat smell, expanded my search to include the roof and found 1 more entry hole that could give access to the walls and 2 more possible leading to attic space (roof was icy, so I didn’t get too investigative), set traps in balcony, sent report to Robert to suggest cutting bamboo and trimming trees, made a plan with tenants to return weekly until issue is resolved; (Chapter 5: 3/23) inspected roof and discovered 2 new entry holes under eves (see photo below), excluded large entry hole next to balcony, set squirrel traps on balcony (because something is tripping my biggest rat traps in wall voids), cleared a rat from under studio, reset traps inside; (Chapter 6: 4/1) removed 1 large trapped Squirrel from balcony, excluded entry hole on right front eve, inspected roof (took photo of windfall and sent to Robert), checked traps inside, pruned back bamboo in front, installed a one way door on squirrel/rat hole shown below; (Chapter 7: 5/5) checked in with tenants and traps, no activity discovered in traps (and the bag of wildlife mix I put behind the one way door was untouched), removed one way door and excluded main squirrel hole, excluded old window thing with many gaps into walls under porch, checked traps under studio (one mouse caught in rat trap), and asked tenants to text me if they hear any more activity; (Chapter 8: 7/19) Brandon reported hearing new activity in ceiling of his downstairs bedroom, inspected under the porch and discovered that the monitor I put in wall behind exclusion work was ravaged, set traps to clear what I suspected was residual house mice from my rat and squirrel adventure; (Chapter 9: 8/2) cleared 5 mice and found bait taken from within wall (confirming my theory), set monitors throughout the home to track any future mouse, rat, and or squirrel activity…
4PLEX ON 37TH – “Four Rat Homes for the Price of One”
DECEMBER 2020 – inspected exterior of property and discovered I would need tenant info to access crawlspaces; contacted first of 2 tenants on list, inspected crawlspace and discovered one entry hole and history of rats, replaced screen and set fishing traps, inspected other 2 units and discovered more entry holes; and then tried to contacted 2 tenant on list.
JANUARY 2021 – contacted 2 tenant; inspected crawlspace and discovered fresh rat droppings (and a pool of grey water from leak), a burrow, and more entry holes, excluded tunnel between units and foamed burrow, and set traps; gathered the info needed for other 2 units; contacted 3rd tenant, inspected crawlspace and found more activity, replaced 2 screens and excluded entry holes leading into unit, set traps, excluded 2 external entry holes in vacant unit (including some minor duct work) and one interior, and set more traps, including one rodent station in backyard next to main tunnel under deck. After I saw that the rat had dug through my foam block between foundation walls, I realized they had access to all 4 units via the drainage passageways. I returned a week later (1/21): no catches, but no trips either and no signs of reentry from the main tunnel. Marker was unmoved.
FEBRUARY 2021 – inspected crawlspaces and traps, discovered no new activity inside, excluded last entry hole (tunnel), and checked outside trap and marker under back porch, marker moved, no catches.
MAY 2021 – inspected crawlspaces and traps, discovered no new activity, set birdseed bag monitors below hatch doors, and asked tenants if it was ok if I texted them in a few months to ask them to check the monitors for me; Paxton and Matt agreed.
NOVEMBER 2021 – Contacted Pax and Matt and asked them to check monitor in crawlspace, they agreed to check, and they both reported no new signs of activity 🙂
AUGUST 2022 – Contacted Pax to schedule physical inspection, checked monitors in Pax’s unit and vacant neighboring unit (Matt’s old home), found no new signs of activity, replaced monitors with fresh ones, and spoke with Pax about rat sightings outside…
MY FIRST FIRST CLASS ROACH HUNT – (Chapter 1: 5/18) inspected rental house and discovered moderate infestation centered in kitchen, treated all baseboards, around doors, in closets, in cupboards, around hot water heater, in bathroom, and then set glue board monitors and baited active areas; (Chapter 2: 6/2)) inspected monitors, found no signs of activity, talked with Horatio who has been working there for the last week, he confirmed that all the roaches he saw were dead: The End.
SHERWOOD DUPLEX: THE PAPER WASP, ANT, SPIDER, MOTH, RAT, SNAKE, AND EXCLUSION SERVICE: (Chapter 1: 5/28) inspected property and found signs of rats (the crawlspace is another Halt nightmare), ants, wasps, and gardener snakes, tenants were unhappy and also reported frustrations with spiders and moths (but I found no evidence of spider or moth infestations), set traps in crawlspace, set stations outside, replaced 5 vents, did a full ant hunt, cleared 8-10 paper wasp nests off eves, and tried to explain to tenants that paper wasps aren’t aggressive; (Chapter 2: 5/31) tenants were not able to be there for our agreed upon service window, set traps in vacant unit, replaced five vent screens, excluded/fixed dryer vents on both units, and did an ant hunt; (Chapter 3: 6/9) no activity found in first unit, excluded final entry hole, set monitor (and showed the tenant how to check it), foamed cracks around back patio to exclude snakes, checked traps in vacant unit, excluded tunnel around sewer pipe, checked traps and found what could have been a mouse (nibbles on rat traps), reset traps, checked to see if tenants had seen wasps or ants, and they reported no activity for either… SIDENOTE: the water dripping from back hose is attracting snakes as well as the ant and rat populations.
ROCK CREEK 4-Plex Exclusion – (Chapter 1: 6/14) inspected crawlspace and discovered 4 exterior entry holes (2 tunnels, 1 hole in vent screen, and one large hole in foundation), decided to exclude the 4 water lines under each units sinks because of the tunnels…
CARPENTER ANTS AND EXCLUSION AT LAURELWOOD #21 – (Chapter 1: 4/6) inspected unit #21 and building’s crawlspace for carpenter ants, discovered and treated multiple house ant trails, one starter carpenter ant nest in back corner of building (but not inside as far as I can tell, also replaced the screens on 5 broken vents to exclude building from wildlife and rodents…
BEDBUG HALLUCINATIONS AT MINTER BRIDGE #33: (6/22) asked tenant on the phone if she saw bugs (and sent her photos of what to look for), when I arrived she showed me the ones she collected, her specimens were a) a rubber band, and b) a piece of chocolate, she also showed me her bed where she had just removed “hundreds” of bedbugs and thrown them in the dumpster, zero signs of bedbug activity; (7/22) Robert asked me to do another inspection based on the photo we later determined was a stock photo of bedbugs, did a full inspection, didn’t find any signs of bugs, tenant reported she was now more worried about carpet beetles “biting her feet,” I kindly explained that I would not be coming back for a 3rd inspection, and I also explained that carpet beetles don’t infest…and I wouldn’t be back to treat for them either. I did offer to help her ID bugs (via phone) if she was worried. She has a greater than normal fear of them.
THE DEAD CAT EXCLUSION (SE 75th) – (Chapter 1: 5/7) removed dead cat from crawlspace, inspected crawlspaces for other cats, excluded main cat hole to prevent entry of living cats (and other larger animals), discovered history of rodents and wildlife, identified at least five vents with rat sized holes, and set traps to determine level of activity, (Chapter 2: 5/26) cleared 4 rats from traps, set more traps, fashioned screens for 3 old metal vents (with big rat gaps in them) from inside, tried to replace old screen outside but realized the wood was too rotted, excluded vent with main cable access; (Chapter 3: 6/1) build new pressure treated wood frame and screen for vent (because it was so rotted I couldn’t even sink screws in it), excluded another metal vent, set more traps, and cleared one rat from the same crawl where the dead cat was laid to rest…by the rats? (Chapter 4: 6/15) build another new pressure treated wood frame and screen for rotten vent, excluded 2 more old metal vents, used foam and scrap metal to block tunnel system in back of active crawl, put hardware cloth on crawlspace door (aka window) to protect broken glass and replaced the bent nails and duct tape with latches, and checked traps, no new signs of activity; (Chapter 5: 8/9) checked traps and inspected exclusion work, no new signs of activity, replaced traps with birdseed/rat food monitors; (Chapter 6: 5/17) inspected exclusion work and crawlspaces, found no new signs of activity; (Chapter 7: 10/4) received a work order about falling insulation again, set traps to determine level of activity, returned a week or so later, discovered no new signs of activity again!
SCRATCHING AT SE 26th: (Chapter 1: 10/6) met with tenant, found entry holes (under basement doors and hole in screen), set traps in crawlspace and in kitchen where scratching was found; (Chapter 2: 10/14) checked traps, found no signs of activity, made plan with Paige; (Chapter 3: 10/17) got a weekend call from Paige, a wounded mouse tripped trap and escaped into unit, met with tenant to make plan, reset traps, moments after I left I got a call from Paige, she’d trapped the mouse, I advised that she throw it outside (which she did); (Chapter 4: 10/25) final exclusion: new crawl door, new vent screen, new threshold and door sweep on basement doors, plus misc patchwork, THE END.
NEW PROPERTY IN SHERWOOD: (Chapter 1: 9/24) inspected property and found lots of history of rats and 5 plus entry holes, marked entry holes and set traps to determine level of activity; (Chapter 2: 10/1) replaced 6.5 screens, excluded 2 tunnels, and blocked a gap on corner of garage door, cleared one rat, reset traps; (Chapter 2: 10/11) checked traps and found no signs of activity, The End.
MOUSE HUNT IN HILLSBORO DUPLEX: (Chapter 1: 10/24) inspected unit and found one broken vent and tunnel around sewer line, discovered house mice living in walls inside (entry hole is gaps around heater next to fridge), the mice have been there long enough to make their way to the living room ceiling where they are scratching through the sheetrock, marked entry holes, set traps, and made a plan with tenants; (Chapter 2: 10/31) checked traps, no signs of activity in crawlspace or kitchen, planning to keep traps in place for a month before doing the exclusion work; (Chapter 3: 12/6) discovered that the holes in ceiling were from water damage, did the exclusion work to button up that side of the duplex, found no new signs of activity, pulled equipment, THE END.
F) THE SQUIRREL HOTEL (NE Weidler St) – (Chapter 1: 5/3) – inspected property, discovered a long gap running length of left side roof overhang (if facing from street) and large gaps between gutter and sheathing in back corner (same side), excluded long gap on overhang with metal flashing, marked main entry on corner, and asked tenants to text me if they hear any more activity in attic; (Chapter 2: 5/12) checked in with tenant, they reported no signs of activity, monitors showed no signs of activity, excluded main entry hole on corner of back gutter, trimmed 20f gap exclusion to make it look prettier, asked tenants to notify management if activity returns, THE END
SILVERFISH AT NEW PROPERTY ON IRVING: (Chapter 1: 11/3) inspected unit B for silverfish, explained to David why they were experiencing silverfish (the building is old and the unit is on ground level and silverfish like warm moist environments), used a hole under the showerhead to place bait in wall void where activity was reported, also gave David some bait to use as needed, when the service was done I listened to David’s concerns about the homeless population outside the building, explained nicely that I was pest control and not security and gave some examples of situations where I would be helpful (like scratching in walls), asked tenant to contact management if activity continues, THE END
BIRD SERVICE AT ARISTA DR. 14016: (12/2021): I spoke with tenant about the bird above her stove, inspected the vent with broken rodent/bird guard, didn’t find any signs of new activity, installed a new guard, THE END
MYSTERY SCRATCHING IN HILLSBORO TOWNHOUSES – “It’s a Mystery!”
(Introduction: 5/23) inspected attics and property, discovered some (but not a lot) of signs that rodents (likely a squirrel or chipmunk) had been up there, didn’t find any clear entry holes, set traps inside and out to determine source of scratching in bedroom; (6/8) checked in with Robert twice in last few weeks, no signs of activity from traps inside (all quiet in bedroom as well), inspected roof above his townhouse again, excluded 2 entry holes, and talked with Robert about the complexities of excluding squirrels if the squirrels were in fact coming in from the attic spaces of other townhouses, also talked for a while about the downsides of bird feeders, THE END
NIGHTMARE CRAWLSPACE IN HILLSBORO: (Introduction: 12/6/2022) inspected outside and found no clear entry holes other than a gap under garage door and possible entry hole behind the heater, inspected crawlspace and found detached grey water/sewer line (running from the washing machine in garage), discovered that all insulation had been torn down by rodents (it was all hanging on their strings like laundry), discovered a possible leak in pipe to kitchen sink, discovered thick “mud” under kitchen and area next to detached pipe, spent some time to carve a workspace/trail from the hanging insulation (leads to kitchen and detached pipe), was able to fit the detached pipe back in place, set traps in garage and crawlspace, working storyline: the rodents the tenant found in garbage under kitchen sink either came in from under garage door or up through sewer pipe; (12/15) checked traps and cleared 10 rats from crawlspace, no signs of activity in garage, excluded entry hole to sink from crawlspace; (12/21) cleared one adult from traps in crawlspace and marked leaks for plumbers; left traps in place to monitor, no new reports from tenants, THE END
WALL INFESTATION AT LINNEA HALL: (Introduction: 6/11/2022) inspected for source of dead animal smell, found and marked 2 possible entry holes, foamed interior wall at tenants request, and set traps outside; (6/17) checked traps and monitors, no signs of activity in traps or movement in markers, smelled death in Lorenzo’s vent in back, excluded 4 dryer vents, THE END
RAT HUNT AND EXCLUSION AT SHERWOOD DUPLEX: (Introduction: 6/11/2022) inspected both crawlspaces, discovered and marked 5 broken vents/entry holes, discovered an extensive history of rats in both crawlspaces, set traps in both, spoke with Liliana at length about “the smell” (the strongest smell in crawlspace was a cleaning agent followed by rat urine and droppings), made an action plan with both tenants; (6/23) excluded gaps around 2 dryer vents, installed 3 new vent screens, blocked one tunnel, cleared 3 rats from crawlspace, and rest traps in both crawlspaces; (7/12) checked traps in both crawlspaces, no new catches (but a few traps were tripped), reset traps and made a plan to return in a month; (8/19) checked traps and inspected exclusion work in both crawlspaces, no new signs of activity were found, pulled traps, set monitors, THE END
MICE AND RAT HUNT IN TIGARD DUPLEX – “Rats Hunt Mice”
(Introduction: 9/27/22) inspected Laura’s unit, saw a mouse running from stove to fridge, set traps inside, inspected perimeter and found entry holes in both units, crawlspace below Laura’s unit had signs of rats and mice, saw a rat running in crawlspace when I was there (plausible storyline: new rat population was pushing the mice up into insulation and kitchen), set traps for mice and rats, received a text from Laura later that evening reporting that I’d caught the mouse in the kitchen, talked with tenants about their concerns with fallen insulation (he poked his head in door when I was working), so I’m reporting it now; (10/6) cleared 13 rats and 1 mouse from traps, inspected property and found that my marker in adjacent (locked) crawlspace was moved by a larger critter, reset traps and replaced markers; (10/20) cleared one rat from first crawlspace, cleared one rat from station outside, set traps in second crawlspace, removed mummified raccoon remains; (11/22) checked traps, no signs of activity in crawlspaces, installed 5 new standard box style screens, blocked 2 tunnels, THE END.
RAT HUNT AT CAPITAL DUPLEX – “Rats Like Food Carts and Apple Trees”
(Introduction: 7/5/2022) inspected property, only entry holes found were under garage doors (one doesn’t seem to close right), many old well-established burrows around back patio and along front steps in bushes, spoke with tenant (she said a man knocked on her door and told her that he saw rats running around her door as soon as she closed it), food supply is likely nearby food carts (eating area), marked and foamed all burrows, set up outside stations, made a plan with tenant; (7/14) checked and cleared 4 rats from traps, reset traps, added 2, inspected garage and discovered that the rats had been accessing it through the neighbor’s door (which is broken/left open), cleaned rat droppings; (7/28) checked and cleared 4 rats from traps, reset traps, treated 2 ant trails, excluded 2 big gaps under garage door; (8/16) checked traps and cleared 4 more rats from traps, moved stations closer to apple tree; (9/10) checked traps and cleared 4 more rats from outside stations, tenant reports no activity inside; (10/27) Shyanna texted and reported that a rat had been in her home, scheduled next day service, set traps in garage and inside, excluded interior entry hole, cleared 7 more rats from outside stations, made an action plan with Shyanna; (10/31) Shyanna texted to report that she hasn’t noticed any new signs of activity inside; (11/2) Shyanna texted to report a large rat caught in garage, I cleared that rat and two more in stations outside; (12/17) checked traps, found no new signs of activity, pulled equipment, THE END
RODENT AND ROACH HUNT AT MAPLE COURT – “Controlling Rats and Roaches”
(Introduction: 1/8/22): inspected unit and found live roaches as well as a history of roaches in the unit (found old roach bait in the usual places), most of activity was behind fridge but I found evidence of infestation in almost all cupboards, treated infestation with bait, glue boards, and liquid pesticide, made a plan with tenants for the follow up if needed; (8/29) tenants reported that they had some relief after initial, but they said they’ve been seeing a lot for a while (not sure why they waited so long to schedule a follow up), asked tenants to prep apartment (which they did), flushed and treated baseboards, treated inside and behind stove, fridge, under sink, and cupboards; baited as well, made a plan to return in a month, emphasized the importance of communicating with us in order to monitor activity effectively; (9/27) inspected for roaches in active unit, found less activity, treated kitchen again for roaches, did an initial rodent set up service in both crawlspaces, discovered signs of rats and mice in both buildings, but I’m guessing not a lot because there’s no insulation down there; (11/8) installed 6 new concrete style vent screens in main building, blocked one tunnel, foamed around new dryer vent, and set traps to make sure the building is clear; (12/17) inspected first building and found no signs of activity, checked traps and markers in second and found no signs of activity, blocked one large entry hole under deck, repaired 4 vent screens in crawl, THE END
THE HILLSBORO HOUSE: (Initial: 12/17/22) inspected property and crawl, discovered entry holes: (2 large gaps on sides of the chimney, one large tunnel under foundation, one small hole around cables through vent in back, gap under garage door), set traps in crawl; (1/4) no signs of activity in traps, used cement to patch two large entry holes on sides of chimney, blocked tunnel and used 2 buckets of gravel to fill hole, repaired one vent screen, recommend that hole in pipe in back be repaired, recommend that garage door gets a new seal (I would have patched it, but it’s very bad), THE END
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