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 Do Rats Chew On Wires?
Insulation, wires, straw, cardboard, paper, and different materials assist rodents with survival because they can utilize any of those things to build bigger homes, hone their teeth, and more.
Rats find it a lot simpler to chew wires, cable, wood, and even water warming pipes than most other materials because of their teeth. The chewing of wires and cables by rats has been identified as one of the main sources of blackouts in some homes. Out of these materials, wires appear to be the most attractive to rats and mice.
Why Do They Chew On Wires?
Let's review the most common issues relating to rats chewing on wires that some homeowners face every day:- Rodents don't go around searching for wires to chew on. They happen to get a kick out of the chance to stow away in places where other shrouded things are commonly found, for example, your home electric and security wiring system.
- One thing with wires is that they are all over the place, and rats have a nature to follow anything they can bite to keep their teeth from over developing. If they don't bite on wires, they will, in the long run, bite on everything else: glass, plastic, elastic, wood, aluminum, rock, and even concrete.
- Even though rats can chew anything, they love wire more when it comes to grinding their teeth. They can hold the wire as they chew, giving them more control. As you most likely know, rats and mice have sharp teeth, which keep growing unless they find a way to control the growth. This is why they choose wires.
- Keep in mind that rats and mice don't just chew on house wires. They also chew vehicle wires.
