Fort Myers, Florida, offers property owners the opportunity to relish a fast-paced urban lifestyle. Still, the surrounding rural areas can provide fantastic scenery if a laid-back lifestyle is more your speed. Whether your property sits in an urban or rural neighborhood, they both sometimes get unwanted visits from rats. When rats come calling, it's essential to have a trusted Fort Myers rat removal company nearby.
Common Rat Species: Identifying Different Types Of Rats
Rats have been around for a long time. As human populations expand into their natural habitats, properties become more exposed to potential visits. In Fort Myers, property owners typically see one of two rats in structures—roof rats and Norway rats.
Roof rats are thin, long, and sleek, measuring six to eight inches. Their tails are scaly and usually longer than their head and body combined. They have soft, smooth brown hair with black hairs intermingled within their fur; their underbellies are generally gray, white, or black. Their ears and eyes are relatively large, and they have pointed noses. These rats usually occupy higher portions of buildings because of their ability to climb.
Norway rats have "heavier" bodies than roof rats. They measure seven to ten inches long, and their scaly tails are shorter than their head and body combined. Their brown hair is coarser than roof rats, with black hairs distributed throughout. As you move down to their bellies, the hair turns a lighter off-white or gray. Norway rats have blunt noses and small eyes and ears. These rats typically occupy lower portions of buildings.
Whether you find a roof rat or a Norway rat scurrying about your property, neither is a welcomed sight. Coastal Lawn and Pest is an experienced wildlife specialist that can quickly and efficiently remove rats from Fort Myers properties.
Property Damage Caused By Rats: The Costly Consequences
Rats are some of the most common pests to invade buildings; they are also incredibly destructive. Rats have teeth that continually grow; therefore, they constantly chew on things to keep them trimmed. Rats can chew through almost anything, including drywall, plastics, wood, lead, aluminum siding, pipes, and electrical wires. Rats in Fort Myers also burrow, often undermining foundations and concrete slabs, occasionally blocking sewer lines.
Since insulation makes an excellent nesting material, rats often shred it for bedding. Rats also like cluttered storage areas in buildings; they often make nests in boxes, ruining the items inside with their urine and feces. Rats can also damage stored foods by chewing through containers and contaminating the foods inside.
Properties with rat problems are bound to experience damaging and costly consequences. When property owners discover rats in their buildings, contacting the wildlife specialists at Coastal Lawn and Pest is essential to minimize damages and costs.
Sealing Entry Points: Effective Measures To Prevent Rats
Due to a rat's relatively small size, it can use openings as small as half an inch to access buildings. Property owners who wish to prevent rats from entering structures must focus on sealing even the most minor entry points.
Five effective measures property owners can use for rat prevention include:
- Use screens to cover chimneys and vents.
- Seal cracks and crevices with concrete, galvanized sheet metal, or aluminum flashing.
- Fill gaps around plumbing and utility lines that enter buildings.
- Fix loose mortar on foundations.
- Ensure screens, windows, and doors fit tightly.
Sealing entry points can get challenging. At Coastal Lawn and Pest, we don't just remove rats and repair damages; we also help property owners with prevention. We can locate weak spots and have the professional-grade materials necessary to seal up entry points that allow rats to access buildings.
Choosing The Right Rat Control: Contact Us To Learn More
Property owners who wish to keep rats away from their property must choose the right home pest control company in Fort Myers. Coastal Lawn and Pest is a local company that is family-owned and wildlife-focused. We can help property owners with rat control, repair, and prevention. Don't allow rats to gain the upper hand on your property; contact Coastal Lawn and Pest today for a free inspection.