Polk County, Lakeland Rat Control Situation:
I'm having trouble with a rat(s?) that is constantly chewing through the wires under my hood. The car is parked outside. After the last two times, my mechanic sprayed some red stuff over everything and that has provided me with some temporary relief. I have some traps w/ poison set around now, but I still need to protect my car in the meantime. What can I do? What is the "hot spray" that you refer to on your website? I will be moving and I've been told by the homeowner of the new home that he has seen rats in the garage... I also found mouse traps under the sink... We will be replacing the carpet before moving and at that time we will try to seal any holes. He said they were kangaroo or desert rats... I'm terrified as I have a phobia about this, I need advice on how to permanently get rid of any rodents in my new home. I've used moth balls and sonar devices, I've never seen rodents were I live, we also put poison in between the walls. Is this okay? Please help!
David, My son-in-law and daughter has for the last month trying to catch a rat in their attic. This is a very smart rat, we do not want to poison the rat for we do not want it to die in the attic. We are at whits end trying to catch this rat. We have tried glue trap, electronic trap, bucket of water trap, home defense trap, wooden mouse and rat trap. He is so smart he knows how to side step all the traps.Some one has seen the rat, it is a small size rat, He roams through the garage and attic. and he chews on card boxes and eats whatever food he finds.We wonder if you can help us catch this rat, with your expertise. He or she is a nuisance and we may have more rats, if it is a she. We sincerely thank you if you can help us or try to help us. Gratefully yours, May
Lakeland Rat Control Tip of The Week
New York City's Rat Problem
The Norway Rat:
The majority of rats in New York City are Norway rats, otherwise known as brown rats. Brown rats typically weigh 1 pound and they can grow up to 16 inches long. A brown rat needs just 1 ounce of food and water every day to survive.
Agile Creatures:
Brown rats are known for their ability to climb through pipes and get through small spaces. Even though some of the largest brown rats can be up to 20 inches long and weigh more than 2 pounds, it's easy for them to fit through a hole that's the size of a quarter. Rats have some serious superpowers and are capable of falling up to five stories without any injury and leaping up to 4 feet for climbing.
Going Through Any Material:
Rats also have extremely strong jaw muscles and quality teeth. There are rats in New York that are capable of chewing through cinderblocks and sewer pipes.
Where Rats Live:
Most rats will rarely travel more than 600 feet away from the area that they were born. Most rats like to nest and burrow in soft ground as well as below ground to live in colonies. A rat colony is usually between 30 to 50 rats and the number of rats in a burrow or family is usually between 8 to 12. Rats stay close to their food source and they can often be found just a few hundred feet from where they go every day to be fed. Public garbage areas, alleyways, and more can be a hotbed for rats and NYC produces its own information portal on areas where rats are heavily concentrated.
Massive Population:
It's estimated that there are roughly 2,000,000 rats in New York City and this means that the rat population in New York City sits around 25% of the total number of humans.