Unwelcome Pests Looking For Warm Place During Cold Weather
Cooler winter weather means unwelcome pests may be looking for a warm place to settle in.
For rats, attics are five star stays.
"You can see all of this, it's from rats, see how black it is? See how black it is? That’s all droppings right there. Probably a 100 rat droppings,” said Critter Control’s Matt Harrison.
This time of year, Harrison spends lots of time on ladders and in attics.
"What I'm looking for is droppings, and you can also look at insulation,” Harrison said. “Usually it’s nice and fluffy like fresh snow. When you get animals in the attics, you can see trails through it."
But you don’t have to be an expert to spot some signs.
"When they hit little bumps, to come up, and it rubs,” Harrison said. “This is all stains from rats, and of course your got more droppings up on the window still."
Scurrying rodents will do more than keep you up at night, they'll cost you at the end of the month.
"They mess with the insulation, and affect your energy bill," Harrison said.
The Altamira Place apartment complex is getting proactive with pest control.
Crews were brought in to seal up spots rodents could squeeze through, such as spraying foam to seal up entry points in a tenant’s closet.
Altamira’s management also sent a letter to tenants saying they would be taking preventive measures to keep wildlife, due to an explosion of the rat population.
The letter was delivered to all residents at the complex during last week's Florida freeze.
"They are unaware of any rat or squirrel infestation," said Mark Butler, the city manager’s assistant.
Meanwhile, Harrison is off to another job to keep it that way.
Credits: By Scott McDonnell - cfnews13.com
