Rats

[ScottGo]

I live in McClure village. Go out after dark and rats are everywhere, along the top of the walls. I killed a big one on my porch with a trap last night. I've seen them running across Fenney Way in the daytime. Is mgmt responsible for removal or am I stuck?

[Bill14564]

I live in McClure village. Go out after dark and rats are everywhere, along the top of the walls. I killed a big one on my porch with a trap last night. I've seen them running across Fenney rd in the daytime. Is mgmt responsible for removal or am I stuck?

I don't know who "mgmt" would be.

If you found that the rats were coming from an unsanitary home or restaurant you could probably file a complaint agains them. If the rats are coming from the nature areas then they are not much different than snakes, birds, or rabbits.

McClure is likely within Wildwood. You could look for a Wildwood animal control or a Sumter County animal control but I don't think they would help with rats.

[asianthree]

Palm rats are destructive especially from palms close to your house. If you have issues within your home call your pest control.

At dusk you will see hundreds of rats on the golf courses, neighborhoods, squares, living in the brush and in the palm trees. Developer nor county will intervene. Kill100, 400 still breed.

Our previous villages had hundreds of palms. Thankfully in the south younger residents palms are few and far between.
Unlike their parents and grandparents who have multiple palms on their property.

[Taltarzac725]

I recall there were a very large number of rats invading some of the pools in the Ashland area of the Villages when they were clearing fields just to the South years ago. This would have been around 2005 to 2007.

[Pondboy]

Not helping the situation is people feeding the wildlife….i.e Bird Feeders

[Boomer]

Are they palm rats?

When we bought our Gardenia in the LSL section, there were two.huge queen palms in the small back yard. Queen palms were a thing in TV. Inexpensive. Grow fast. Look oh soooo Florida.

BUT! Queen palms do not belong here. As they get big, so do their seed pods which have to be removed so they do not fall. Those seed pods can be very heavy.

AND! Big, tall queen palms are condos for palm rats.

The ones in our yard had been in for 5 or 6 years when we bought the house. They were big and the palm fronds were touching our roof, which would have made a perfect entrance ramp to the attic.

We had them taken out. Even though I had never seen a palm rat, I knew about them.

The next day at a neighborhood get-together, someone who lived nearby said that palm rats had suddenly showed up in their garage and gotten into dog food there. Had those palm rats moved from our cut down queen palms? I will never know for sure, but the timing was interesting.

The other thing that invites palm rats are bird feeders. I like birds just fine but I will never have a bird feeder.

All that being said. . .are those palm rats you are seeing and if so, where is the cause?

Boomer

[MrFlorida]

They like bird feeders and bird baths... also get rid of trees close to the house.

[Tyrone Shoelaces]

My Hit Man

https://www.talkofthevillages.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=108762&stc=1&d=1749571842

[Ruger2506]

You'd think they'd allow us to shoot them. .17 cal pellet rifles on the golf course at dusk. That'd be a blast.

[Michael G.]

If you would only know what crawls around our houses at night.

A couple years ago my wife was mowing the lawn and spotted a rat.
I went to tractor supply and bought a rat trap and caught two.

A couple days later I pulled my web grill cover off,
only to find the complete back of the cover was chewed out. 🐭

There out their people

[airstreamingypsy]

I was strolling down Canal St, in LSL, one afternoon. I looked down, and strolling next to me was a rat. We walked along, side by side for about 15 years, when it jumped under a golf cart parked on the curb. I wish my dog would heel as well as that rat.

[BrianL99]

I was strolling down Canal St, in LSL, one afternoon. I looked down, and strolling next to me was a rat. We walked along, side by side for about 15 years.


So you and the rat were like best friends for 15 years?

[fdpaq0580]

You'd think they'd allow us to shoot them. .17 cal pellet rifles on the golf course at dusk. That'd be a blast.

No! You'll lose and eye. 😱

[Boomer]

You will know if it is a palm rat and not a big city rat. Palm rats wear teeny, tiny Hawaiian shirts.

[CFrance]

If you would only know what crawls around our houses at night.

A couple years ago my wife was mowing the lawn and spotted a rat.
I went to tractor supply and bought a rat trap and caught two.

A couple days later I pulled my web grill cover off,
only to find the complete back of the cover was chewed out. 🐭

There out their people

They are certainly out there. After deciding against palm trees in our new build, we downsized to a pre-owned villa with a big palm tree in the front. When I found evidence of them being in the totally enclosed glove compartment of my car, and elsewhere in the garage, plus a dead one out in the driveway after I backed the car out, we had the tree taken out.


When the tree removal crew showed up, they got five more jobs from our neighbors. We none of us miss those trees.

[Bjeanj]

Yikes!

[eyc234]

Have 3 bird feeders and two bird baths for the entire 15 years here and not one rat or mouse. Lots of rabbits and squirrels but not a feeders as they are critter proof. Not bird feeder but type of feeder. Rats do not need birdseed when they have palm nuts.

[Accidental1]

Been seeing them recently at our house too mainly in the common area ground cover. Called the district and they sent someone to look but ultimately told us they’d do nothing. Called Dean’s (pest/lawn contractor) and they put down a bait station. Haven’t seen any since but haven’t really been looking for them.

[Berwin]

I have a friend who got a suppressed .22 pistol to handle unwanted wildlife without disturbing the neighbors. :-)

[Cuervo]

I had a problem, with mice in my attic. I called a company who took care of the problem.
My neighbor also had also had a problem; she took down her bird feeder and her problem was solved.
I think many people leave out food for our animal friends, but that also attracts the unwanted ones.

[Gunny2403]

I have them running around the entrance to our Courtyard Villa plan. I would like to know the answer also. They are brazen, see them any time of the day. Also many around Long Leaf and Loblolly Courses, which are very close to my Villa. Have no idea what their food source is.

[Gunny2403]

No palms nearby but the rats are here

[airstreamingypsy]

So you and the rat were like best friends for 15 years?

Hahahaha, oops. I meant 15 feet.

[Gunny2403]

A .22 bullet with snake shot is perfect.

[Taltarzac725]

A .22 bullet with snake shot is perfect.

Statutes & Constitution
:View Statutes
:

Online Sunshine (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0790/Sections/0790.15.html)

I have heard local farmers shooting but have never heard gunshots in the Villages over the past almost twenty years here.


Discharging Firearm in Public- Florida | Definition and Penalties (https://www.husseinandwebber.com/crimes/weapons-crimes/discharging-a-firearm-in-public/)

[MollyJo]

You'd think they'd allow us to shoot them. .17 cal pellet rifles on the golf course at dusk. That'd be a blast.
U p/u too??

[Nana2Teddy]

Been seeing them recently at our house too mainly in the common area ground cover. Called the district and they sent someone to look but ultimately told us they’d do nothing. Called Dean’s (pest/lawn contractor) and they put down a bait station. Haven’t seen any since but haven’t really been looking for them.
This is the worst thing you can do because the poisoned rats are consumed by our local wildlife and the poison then kills the birds and other critters up the food chain.
Bait stations were banned where we moved from due to all of the carnage happening to the wildlife.

[Ironnan]

Ever wonder what lurks in your back yard when you’re sleeping?
This is what I’ve caught so far
1 bird
1 possum
1 potato possum
5 rabbits
10 palm rats

The most disturbing was two palm rats within seven minutes. They love carrots. I’M NOT SURE IF THE BANANA TREES I HAVE ARE THE DRAW but this is a new critter lurking about - potato possum.

[Ripp3325]

Rats and mice are very grateful for birdfeeders, fruit trees and some palm trees. If you have bird feeders and no rats or mice, you likely have some friendly snakes in your yard, too!

[Runway48]

Statutes & Constitution
:View Statutes
:

Online Sunshine (http://www.leg.state.fl.us/Statutes/index.cfm?App_mode=Display_Statute&URL=0700-0799/0790/Sections/0790.15.html)

I have heard local farmers shooting but have never heard gunshots in the Villages over the past almost twenty years here.


Discharging Firearm in Public- Florida | Definition and Penalties (https://www.husseinandwebber.com/crimes/weapons-crimes/discharging-a-firearm-in-public/)

That pertains to firearms. What about air powered rifles such as pellet guns which are capable of killing rats?

[Margefrog]

Are you sure thrg are rats, not possum? It seems odd to have such a number around.

[Margefrog]

Don't the local snakes usually take care of these? The most common include the Florida water rat, wood rat, and cotton rat. The Florida water rat, also called the round-tailed muskrat, is a semi-aquatic rodent with a round tail. Wood rats, also known as pack rats, have a hamster-like appearance with soft fur and a furry tail. Cotton rats are wild rodents with a chunky build and coarse fur, often found in rural or suburban areas.

[fdpaq0580]

Don't the local snakes usually take care of these? The most common include the Florida water rat, wood rat, and cotton rat. The Florida water rat, also called the round-tailed muskrat, is a semi-aquatic rodent with a round tail. Wood rats, also known as pack rats, have a hamster-like appearance with soft fur and a furry tail. Cotton rats are wild rodents with a chunky build and coarse fur, often found in rural or suburban areas.

"Round tails"? As opposed to square, rectangular, octagonal,?
And what about the rats with big, bushy tails?

[Nell57]

I’m not sure what’s going on construction-wise near you. But anytime the developer clears land it disturbs the ecosystem for miles around. All those animals have to go somewhere.
When an area is built out…. No ground being moved within several miles, the ecosystem stabilizes.
We saw the same thing happen when the LSL area was under development.