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
Animals that rats kill
The fact that rats pose several health risks and safety hazards makes them one of the most detested pests in many households. These rodents cause a whole lot of nuisance by disrupting the peace of your home with their scurrying and scratchy sounds when allowed to multiply and breed in your house. These reasons usually prompt many homeowners to look for the best possible way to get rid of them.
While trying to get rid of them, you need to also understand the fact that these rodents are capable of killing other animals. You might be wondering how an animal of this size can kill other animals. The fact is that rats are very aggressive animals with special skills when it comes to attacking their prey.
Although, the chances of this happening depend on many factors. For instance, rats will only kill or attempt to kill other animals when they are starving or they want to take over an area initially occupied by other rodents.
The most common animals that rats do attack and kill is mice. These two rodents share the same ecological niche; hence they often interact with each other. In the process of relating with one another, the scavenging instinct of rats might set in, prompting them to hunt and kill mice.
Asides from mice, rats also come in contact with and may kill cats and dogs. Cases like this occur once in a while and to only cats and dogs that are small in size or already suffering from preexisting illnesses.
Having shared this, if you are keeping a cat or dog as a pet in your house, chances are that the rats in your home will kill your pets when they have the opportunity to. Since rats are omnivorous, there are no limits to what they can feed on.
