Actual Size: 11 inchesCharacteristics: Coloration is typically darker than other rats, and can range from grayish brown to reddish brown. They have a shorter tail than other rats, but are one of the larger species, some weighing above a pound. They are twice the size of roof rats. Norway rats are also known as brown rats, common rats, or wharf rats.
Behavior:
Norway rats breed all year long, but the highest rates of reproduction are seen in the fall.
These rats are especially adaptable to urban living.
Norway rats are efficient foragers, and will eat anything humans eat.
They usually make their nests within or around the ground.
Rodents have become a problem in any area where animals and humans inhabit the same space. While issues with rats will become more prevalent in older buildings or structures with poor sanitation, rodents can infest any building with the appropriate conditions. Rats are well-suited to most of the United States. They have a high reproductive rate, are resourceful scavengers, and can protect themselves when attacked. Rodents typically burrow long distances to obtain food and find shelter. Most rodents are fearless climbers as well, being able to survive a fall of up to fifty feet. They will travel across power lines, roofs, and tree branches in an attempt to find food or escape from predators.
Problems Caused by Norway Rats
Norway rats and other rodents can be huge sources of disease and bacteria. Rodents were responsible for the spread of Bubonic plague, as they spread fleas infected with the deadly illness throughout Europe. Those simple rats eventually caused millions of deaths. Rodents are especially troublesome disease carriers because they prefer to live so close to humans, as they forage and scavenge for our food waste and garbage, or as they use our buildings for shelter.
Rodents are also responsible for a range of building damages, including contamination of attics, chewing through wires, and even chewing within the structural wood. Urine and droppings are a frequent concern for anyone who has experienced a Norway rat infestation. Electrical wiring and insulation are frequent targets for foraging rodents, and the wood of a building will be chewed for nesting material as well. Rodents have been known to destroy gardens, raid pantries, and generally cause mayhem within a human-dwelling.
Preventing, Eliminating, and Controlling Norway Rats
Rodents are intelligent and very resourceful creatures; preventing rodents can be difficult and complex. Comprehensive rodent control should consist of four steps: Inspection, Exclusion, Trapping, and Exterior Baiting. Our professional experts at Pest Control Inc. can evaluate a building for rodent infestation and inspect all current access points, which is crucial for eliminating these household pests. After inspection has taken place and all access points are blocked, a pest control expert will employ trapping to remove the remaining rodents, and also use long-term exterior baits to prevent Norway rats from returning to the building.
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