Lee County, Fort Myers Rat Control Situation:
We have a call in to Wildlife Control here in Fort Myers and am awaiting their call back (I guess that is you?) In the meantime, I hope you can offer us some tips on what we can do while we wait. Our garage (and attic) is a mess and I am sure it has attracted the mice. In fact, the garage is the first place we noticed the mice. But, in the last week and a half, we have noticed the noises in our ceiling (or the floor to our second story)...apparently, there is a hole from that space into our pantry, because they have helped themselves nightly to our pantry. Upon closer inspection of the garage, we noticed someone left a gapping hole in our dry wall behind the heater (about 10 x 12). In addition, they did not seal where the pipes go up into attic very well. We just had an addition placed on our home last year so my husband is going to talk with the builder to see if he will seal these holes, otherwise, I am hoping this is a service that is available from animal control in Cape Coral. I did try to set up a trap without success....they ate the bait, but it didn't snap. While we wait for the animal control, can we try to block off where we believe the mice are coming into the pantry? I really would like to put an end to that right away. We were going to get wood and cover the openings as well as seal any smaller holes we can reach with the expanding foam. I was going to get some peppermint oil and put all over pantry...i'd much rather smell peppermint than know mice are running around in there! Then, I want to sanitize the pantry and get rid of any food they came in contact with. I don't want to jeopardize or complicate the process of eliminating our infestation, but would REALLY like them out of my house! I would appreciate your assistance, Thank you, Dina
Fort Myers Rat Control Tip of The Week
What Is The Largest Size A Rat Can Get To Be?
With an average lifespan of about 2 - 3 years, some species of rats can grow as large as 4 pounds. But on average, almost all rats are bigger than mice. Also, the size of a rat fairly depends on the specie and the sex of the rat. Male rats usually are larger than females. They have a longer body frame with tails as long as their body and can grow as big as 2 lbs.
Domesticated rats usually do better when it comes to size mainly because they are provided with all they need to grow properly and healthily. For pet rats, an adult rat can grow to a length of 9 to 11 inches with a tail length of 7 to 9 inches. If properly managed, some large species of rats can even grow as long as 20 inches. It all depends on how well the rats are being managed and taken care of.
One of the most fascinating thing about rats is that having a large body size doesn't mean they won't be able to pass through small openings and enter into your home. Rats can compress their body in order to be able to pass through small openings. Provided the opening is wide enough to allow the easy passage of its head, it will pass through. Therefore, you shouldn't consider the fact that the rats in your neighborhood are too big to gain access to your home through small openings. Instead, you need to seal all small openings up as soon as possible to avoid a rat infestation.
When it comes to rats with large sizes, the Bosavi woolly rat is one of a kind. This specie of rat can weigh up to 3.5 lbs. and grow as long as 32 inches. Although, this particular specie of rat can only be found in volcanic caves.