Rodent Bait Station Service | Lawn Doctor of Tampa

Rodents

Lawn Doctor Roof and Fruit Rat Control in Tampa, New Tampa, North Tampa, Lutz, and Carrollwood

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Lawn Doctor of Tampa offers rodent bait station control for the roof rat (Rattus rattus, a.k.a. citrus rat, fruit rat, black rat, or gray rat) which is the most abundant and worst rodent pest in the state of Florida according to the University of Florida IFAS. Roof rats consume and destroy stored animal and human food, attack fruit crops, and take up residence in attics, soffits, hollow walls, and out-buildings. When they invade buildings, they chew through wires (potentially starting fires), gnaw through plastic and lead water pipes, make holes in walls, and cause other structural damage. (2)

According to the Florida Department of Health, Rats can cause illness in people and pets through bites and direct contact with urine, droppings and water contaminated with rodent urine. In addition, rodents can cause disease by contaminating food, drink and eating utensils with urine or droppings. Inhaling dust from dried rodent urine, feces and nesting material can also result in illness. Pregnant women, children, the elderly and those who are immunocompromised should be particularly careful to protect themselves from rodent-carried illnesses (4)

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The CDC tracks over 35 diseases spread worldwide from rats and mice. These diseases can be spread to humans directly, through handling of rodents, through contact with rodent feces, urine, or saliva, or through rodent bites. Diseases carried by rodents can also be spread to humans indirectly, through ticks, mites or fleas that have fed on an infected rodent. (5)

Roof rats are excellent climbers and are usually found above ground level. Nests may be located indoors, in attics, roof areas, or ceiling voids. They often enter buildings by using tree limbs, utility lines, or fences. They also nest outdoors, in trees, vines, or on the roof or sides of buildings. Occasionally, they will nest in underground burrows like the Norway rat. Roof rats consume many types of foods, but prefer vegetables, fruits, seeds, and cereal grains, which are abundant in Florida due to the large palm and fruit tree populations (1)

Diseases or zoonoses caused by rodents include:

Angiostrongylus/Rat Lungworm
Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
Leptospirosis
Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus (LCMV)
Rabies
Rat Bite Fever (RBF)
Salmonellosis

To Combat Roof Rats, Lawn Doctor deploys fully loaded bait stations to eliminate existing rodent populations and replenishes the bait quarterly to deal new infestations.