Hillsborough County, Tampa Rat Control Situation:
To Whom It May Concern: How can I find out what could have gotten into my screened in porch, up on a table and into a closed bird cage and killed my canary? The flooring has boards that are at the most 1/2 inch opening. The rest is fully screened with no holes anywhere. My canary was covered in its cage and when I took its cover off the next morning, he was lying dead on the bottom, so I picked him up and looked at him. There were feathers everywhere and he had been partially eaten from the bottom. I wrapped him in a napkin and laid him outside the cage, planning to bury him later. I was so shook up. The next morning I went to get him and put him in a box to bury and he was gone but the napkin was still there intact. I found the remains of his feathers beside an upright freezer I have on the porch. If you have any idea what kind of creature could access a 1/2 inch space to invade my porch and kill my canary, or know anyone else I could contact to find out, please reply. I am really stressed out over this whole ordeal. My canary has had free run of my porch for at least 6 months. He was a beautiful singer and always went to his cage at nightfall to be covered until morning. I need to know what I am dealing with. I would appreciate your reply ASAP. Bonnie
Hmm, my best guess is a Norway Rat, although this is still an unusual case.Hi David, Thank you for your response to my dilemma. I live in the Tampa Bay Florida area. Can this rat climb through a 1/2 slot? Also, I realized that my screen door is flexible as it is made of a plastic material. My sister told me to push on the bottom of the screen door and see if that is where they might have gotten in and sure enough, it pushes in a few inches. Someone else told me it may have been a mink, as I live a few yards from a river. Does that sound feasible to you, David?
A mink or weasel! I hadn't considered that, but that's a better guess than a rat.
Thanks David! How big do these rats get? I have bird seed on my porch and I noticed something has been shelling the sunflower seeds inside the bag and also I found several shells in the corner of the porch.
I don't think I have any real help to offer you. Try sealing off the opening, I guess.
Tampa Rat Control Tip of The Week
Why Is Rat Feces Dangerous To Breathe Or Touch?
Apart from rats being a significant threat to your house, the health implications of having their feces around your home is something that you need to be concerned about. Rat feces are carriers of all kinds of pathogens and diseases that can infect you when you have direct contact with them. This simply shows how dangerous rat feces are and why it is very important for you to avoid touching them or breathing them in.
Rats are a very active household pest, you can find them at almost every corner of your home, including your bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and other rooms in your home. If you have a rat problem, their feces will be found in all these places. This shows that you are at risk of getting infected if the proper sanitization of your home is not done.
Rat feces are carriers of dozens of pathogens and bacteria, with each of these having the possibility of causing lethal health complications. One of the most common of these rat feces related infections is Hantavirus. This particular infection is medically known to cause severe health complications that could lead to death if not managed properly.
To simply avoid exposing yourself to these infections and diseases, you need to avoid touching or breathing in rat feces. The best way to avoid this is to use personal protective equipment such as gloves and a mask when cleaning your home.
Also, if you have a rat problem, you need to hire a professional wildlife agent to help disinfect your home after removing all the rats. By doing this, you will be able to protect yourself from the diseases and pathogens carried by rat feces.
