Rats
There are 56 known species of rats in the world. Fortunately, here in the Clearwater/Tampa Bay area, our main problem is with only one…the roof rat…commonly referred to as the “fruit rat”.
Did you know?
- A rat can fall as far as 50 feet and land uninjured.
- Rats are known to transmit several potentially fatal diseases to humans, including viral hemorrhagic fever, bubonic plague, Weil’s disease, and Q fever.
- A single pair of rats can produce as many as 2,000 descendants in a year if left to breed unchecked.
- Rats’ front teeth grow 4½ to 5½ inches each year, thus the need to continuously gnaw on things to keep them worn down.
- A rat can tread water for three days and survive being flushed down the toilet. (And it can return to the building via the same route.)
- A Hindu templededicated to the Rat Goddess Karni Mata in Deshnoke, India, houses more than 20,000 rats.
Penny Wise and Pound Foolish
One of my mentors, Bobby Bug (affectionately known as Bug) used to tell a story of when he was a salesman. He got the call form guy that saw a rat in his garage.
So, he went out to inspect the house and give him a proposal for what it would cost to get rid of his rat problem.
After looking at the price he says “That’s as high as the ears on a giraffe. For that price, I’ll do it myself.”
And so, Bobby lost the sale…or so he thought. 3 days later, he gets a call from the same gentleman, asking if he could send someone out to take his rat problem.
Bug’s response, “Absolutely, but may I ask why the change in heart?”
The Customer began to describe what happened. “I was sitting on the toilet and felt something touch my butt. I jumped up and saw a 15 inch, nose to tail RAT!!! I ripped the towel bar off the wall and went after the rat. By the time I was done, I had broken the toilet, shattered the mirror and ripped the shower doors off. But, I got the $#@(&^% Rat!!
About this time my wife runs in “What the heck’s going on in here?”
Once she saw what had happened, she insisted I call you back immediately.”
So…with a smile on his face, Bug said, “Yes sir, I’ll send someone over right away.”
Bottom Line: Don’t underestimate rats. If you attempt to tackle it yourself…just in order to try and save a few bucks…you are making a mistake and, in some cases, it can have expensive results!
If YOU have a problem with rats …or any other pest…call me, Coby McConnell, President, Coby’s Tentless Termite and Pest Control, at 727-462-0400. I’ll be happy to speak with you anytime.
And remember…as long as God keeps makin’em, we’ll keep killin’em!
Here’s to helping YOU live PEST FREE!
Coby
P.S. Don’t forget to ask about our FREE 58 Point Pest Analysis of your home or office!
