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
Are Rats Able to Swim, or Do They Drown?
Though rats are not the most desired animals to have around your home, you will be amazed by the incredible survival instincts these rodents have. One of these survival instincts is their ability to survive in water. Rats are excellent swimmers, with their legs, tail, and rhythmic body movements, they can wade in the water for up to three days without drowning
These special skills allow them to be able to survive in water if by circumstance they find themselves stuck in a bucket of water, bathtub, or toilet. In cases where the water body is not restricted by a container or an object, rats use their swimming skills to find their way to dry land close by.
If you happen to find a rat stuck in water, the best thing you can do is to remove it and relocate it somewhere far away from your home or anywhere you are. Refusing to do this and expecting it to drown will only cost you your time because the rat will try as much as possible to survive.
Rats do drown in water, but that will only happen after 3 days when the rat has exhausted all of its energy swimming with no way out. Only a few rodents have this special kind of survival instinct, this clearly shows how smart and intelligent rats are.
Nevertheless, you shouldn't allow rats to run around your house and make your home their nesting place. If you find rats in the water around your home, you need to get them removed and relocated somewhere safe and far from your home to prevent further reentry. Rats are a menace to your health, so you need to look for the best way to get rid of them quickly.