Broward County, Fort Lauderdale Rat Control Situation:
The past month or so we hear noises over the kitchen table in the west end of the house that starts around dark and is all night. When I go to bed around two or three in the morning there are still noises. It sounds like the animal is trying to crack a pecan on the floor beams in the attic. The dining room, kitchen used to be the garage . A breezeway was added and a huge double garage added from the 'now' kitchen back door. My husband has trapped large 'rats' in the garage, NOT mice. We do have squirrels but my husband has kept them out of the pecan trees by sprinkling crushed red pepper around the trees. They do run the utitity lines. Our house has different roof angles. The orginal house roof is higher than the roof where the the dining room and kitchen is now. It is sealed off from the garage and the breezeway. The ceiling over the kitchen table is dropped about 10 inches. If the animal is coming in there it is going about 15ft to where the noise is coming from. Due to the economy we can not afford hundreds of dollars to an exterminator so any suggestions would be appreciated.
My response: You've got to find out how the rats are getting in, and seal those areas shut with steel.
Hi, We live in the newest housing area in Boca Raton Florida. Because they are turning over the soil next door and down the street, we are getting mice and some larger animals IN the HOUSE. They are coming in thru the garage and up the dryer vent into the second floor of our home. The home is over the garage. We noticed rat and animal traps by the garages but NO ONE has been around to maintain them recently. Please can you check on the traps outside and what can you suggest we do for the inside of our home. It is a real discomfort. Thanking you in advance for assisting us in this important matter. Suzanne
Fort Lauderdale Rat Control Tip of The Week
Do Rats Feel Pain?
Rats are one of the few animals with a developed brain and a sense of empathy. When handled with care, they can be playful and tickled. But when handled without compassion or roughly, they showcase a high level of anxiety and express their pain in a special kind of way. This clearly shows that just like every other animal, rats also feel pain.
When it comes to expression, rats express their pain in a special kind of way. They do this by slightly changing their facial appearance and making a grin that clearly shows that they are in discomfort. Apart from this, rats also show that they are in pain by narrowing their eyes, puffing out their cheeks, flattening their ears, and rhythmically increasing the size of their nose.
If you want to know if a rat is in pain or not, you will have to pay attention to its facial expressions. Since they are inaudible animals, waiting to hear them make excruciating sounds is a no-brainer. But with visual clues shared above, you will be able to know when a rat is in pain and when it is not.
Rats are sensible animals with a high level of empathy. Another way you can know when a rat is in pain without actually studying its facial expressions is when you see another rat showing concern for the isolated rat. This behavior in rats is also exhibited when one rat is wounded or ill. In situations like this, other rats will come around the indisposed rat to show their concern.
Having shared this, you can be certain that rats also feel pain. Therefore, if you notice any rat around exhibiting any of the signs above, the rat may be hurt or ill. Also, you need to understand the fact that rats are major carriers of diseases, hence you should avoid having direct contact with them.
