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 Smart Animals?
Rats can be trained:
In studies on rats, it's been very easy to train these animals. Scientists have worked with rats to help teach them how to get through mazes, play fetch, train them to dismantle complex items to get a reward, and more.
Rats stick together:
Rats have high levels of emotional intelligence and they often communicate well with one another to warn each other of threats. In a borough of rats, each will work together to make sure that everyone can stay safe. With communications through their squeaks and noises as well as through pheromones it's possible for rats to continually relay information about the surrounding environment and work together to survive.
They have been shown to have personalities:
In observed behavior some rats are considered to be social, others are entertaining and some are fun-loving wanting to play with objects they find like toys. Each rat can have its own tendencies and display their own levels of intelligence.
Rats are social animals:
Rats live in groups and this makes them very social animals. Even though rats typically sleep 12-15 hours a day, they are social during the time that they are awake.
They can recognize each other and come when called:
Rats can be trained to recognize names, they can come when called and they can often tell more about rats and their behavior by watching them. Rats display recognition that goes far beyond what the average animal conveys.
Rats can smell and find their way into many spaces:
Rats have the power to make their way into many spaces. They are often some of the perfect creatures for making their way into your plumbing and they regularly travel through cracks and areas across the home to find food. They are tenacious creatures and they can be considered very smart when finding food.
