Alachua County, Gainesville Rat Control Situation:
sir. first i want to thank you for all of this info. i have found one damn rat. i tried getting him out the door, but he ran right past me and up into the eves. very little or no evidence of him until i saw him. did i read they follow cockroaches? big palmetto style bugs. do they go after them to eat em? if so, ive many areas to address to seal. very fast son of a gun too. do u suggest i try baby powder at possible entry points for further evidence? ive only seen the one, but i know wheres one, more more than likely to follow. id love to shoot em, but the neighbors wouldnt like that. i reside in holiday florida. lots of work to do on eves and small openings, i just want to handle the lil bastard. thank you again. keith t. future rat murderer.....
Dear David, I am having a esculating problem with roof rats. I also have a disgruntled neighbor who I suspect of comitting malicious activity around my property. Is there anyway possible that acts of malicious behavior (such as tossing dog food, bird seeds ect. onto my property ) can be causing my rat problem. If so, how can I safeguard my attic from this invasion. The strange thing about the roof rat noise in the attic is that it is not consistent. My neighbor went on thanksgiving vacation and I did not hear the rat activity in the attic for one week. Upon his return, the problem returned. Is this possible and is there something I can do to safeguard the attic? I realize this is a strange situation.
Gainesville 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.