Orange County, Orlando Rat Control Situation:
hi david, i came across your site... guess why? There's a rat between my unit (main level condo) and the upper unit. it runs up and down the chimney, across my ceiling in a soffit in a space about 4' wide x 12' long x 2' high. my handyman set 2 rat traps yesterday via removal of a can light ( also took photos of the feces to verify not squirrel). they both went off withing 20 minutes of setting but the creep didn't get caught even though there was a huge scuttle that sounded like the tasmanian devil. to find out, the handyman set the traps on top the 2x4. argh. it was quiet all night and just as soon as we thought it was scared away, the noise started up this morning. local exterminators want to drop pellets after an 'exterior inspection' for $300 - $400. (the squirrel catcher assessed the roof and grounds yesterday and yes there are a few places and probably more.) people who have poisoned rats that haven't been able to get outside say not to use poison because the animal stench is hideous and lasts up to 6 weeks. at the moment, the varmit is banging around up there, i guess walking around the traps. any suggestions? it's driving us crazy, esp when it gets aggitated or perhaps fending off a competitor - it literally sounds like a bar room brawl. thanks - gaylene
AAARGHH!!! Never use poison! It only makes the problem worse! You need to seal the entry holes and trap and remove the rats.
so i've seen what i think is a mouse in my son's room. It was a little bigger than the palm of my hand and grey. i live in a three story apartment complex in Winter Park and hear them in my walls at night. I had made a couple of holes at the bottom of each of my two bedrooms and the living room for my cable wire. I wanted to know how to get rid of them, which traps work best, how long does it take to get rid of them and how do i know if i got them all? any help would be greatly appriciated. thanks.
It's more likely a juvenile rat than a mouse in central FL. You need to have either the building sealed shut, or the inside areas leading into your apartment. Give me a call, and I can come inspect the apartment for free.
Orlando Rat Control Tip of The Week
Do Rats Consume Or Like Cheese?
Being an omnivorous animal, rats tend to feed on anything their claws can grab. This feeding habit with no restrictions allows them to feed on vegetables, fruits, meats, grains, and even dairy products. There's however a myth that rats prefer cheese to any other type of food. As a result of this, many people consider cheese as a rat's favorite and will prefer using them as baits whenever they want to trap rats.
This might seem like a very good idea, but the fact is there is nothing in particular that clearly states that rats prefer cheese to other food. Although they do eat it when they have access to it, that doesn't make it the food they like
To help you understand this better and know whether or not rats consume and like cheese we will be taking you through the diet of a rat. With this, we will be able to provide an answer to the question above.
Rats are voracious eaters; all they care about is to fill up their stomach with food. They only become choosy when there is an abundant source of food and several options to choose from. In situations like this, rats will prefer to eat other foods like meat, grains, and fruits instead of eating cheese.
Apart from all that has already been mentioned above, the nutritional value of cheese is low compared to what rats need daily. This simply means that if you keep a rat as a pet, offering it a meal plan that is mainly comprised of cheese is a bad idea.
