Rat infestation
 

It seems there is a real problem with rats in The Villages. Our whole block in Bonnybrook has had a problem with them. If you have a pest company please call them and have rat traps put down. Also don't leave any fruit laying on the ground and birdseed can also draw them. Check your grill too as the smell of food draws them and keep your garage doors closed!!!! Ours isn't the only block that has this problem as I've heard from many others that they have the same issue. If you live near a mail station or water that seems to draw them.

Please don't feed the birds. Please don't feed the birds.

Don't leave animal food on the lanai. Do not feel bad about not feeding the birds, the birds have plenty to eat provided by Mother Nature, on duty 24/7.

They are palm rats. We chose not to have palm trees.

NO Rat's around here & we feed the birds. (no palms ether) To many squirrels around here that will eat the bird feed off the ground....

Good advice.

A neighbor does and she has a whole menagerie in her garden, including rats and raccoons. (She probably has them in her roof as well, but is so deaf she can't hear them.)

yet!

We heard this when we 1st moved here....don't have palm or fruit trees or you'll have rats!! So we didn't!!! Our neighbors grow veggies and have had who eat them before they can be picked!!

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I have lived in The Villages full time for 8 years. I have not seen any live rats. I have seen a few squashed rats on the MM trails. I have palm trees and citrus trees and my neighbor has a bird feeder. No rats! Maybe the rat sightings are squirrels?

I hope what you say is true , and I know people will not like hearing this . However, my pest control company has stated that "The Villages" has a serious rat problem and they can't keep homeowners rat stations ( black boxes) filled fast enough.

The District needs to take a proactive approach both in education and operation to eradicate this problem. Ignoring it is only going to make it worse.

Please don't shoot the messenger

With all respect to you, the messenger, it is my opinion that I have heard many exaggerations and downright incorrect summaries from the decent and hardworking people who work for many companies and restaurants and all kinds of businesses here. One stood on my front porch recently and told me that he had met Gary Morse a few months ago.

So...I try to do what my high school teacher said as far as credible sources. I think there are plenty of rats here, but we are not like some New York apartment building from the thirties. Our team of snakes and eagles and hawks are working hard here 24/7 and just to prove my point, everyone should set a mouse trap and report back. Good cheese please. Some of them have been fed by gourmets.

If you can't beat 'em, eat 'em.

Stand back....watch your shoes. oh barf.

I posted this previously but I will say again there is a palm rat problem. One got in our garage and chewed all the wiring and hoses in our new vehicle. It caused computer issues....ended up costing over $3000 (thank God for insurance). Our agent told us Marion and Sumter counties had a lot of problems. One of our neighbors the rats are chewing thru the screens on his lanai and getting in...maybe toward the pool. I have seen them running around the rec centers and mail stations while I walk at night. Have also watched them run up the palms in middle of our cul de sac. All neighbors have traps. We went to the vcdd and were sent to property mgt., they came and put traps in the middle of the cul de sacs in our area. We were told there was a problem and the first question asked was does any of your neighbors have bird feeders.
We were told by insurance and dealership that newer cars have some type of soy coating on the wires that attracts the rodents

When the El Santiago Executive golf course was being redone last summer the homes around the course experienced rat problems due to the rat's natural habitat being disturbed. When El Diablo golf course redo was stated this summer, I heard via the pool grapevine the folks surrounding this course experienced the same problem. Lastly, earlier this summer standing on the #6 tee at the Mangrove executive course, we saw SEVERAL rats running back and forth between houses. Do not know what village parallels this hole. Any rate, played a Mangrove again last week and did not see any rats around the #6 tee.

I wish to God I could say you are right in this but the unfortunate truth is that this is a problem and it has to be dealt with on a community level. it does no good for one homeowner to treat the problem if others homeowners ignore it. lack of a sighting does not equate with absent the problem

The continuing expansion in TV and the warm winters are resulting in an increase in this population.

Forewarned is forearmed