Rats
Happy Halloween. ‘tis the season for Ghosts and Goblins and since we have already spoken about bats…let’s chat about Rats , the wonderful rodents that love to call your residence or commercial property, home. As fall is in full swing and temperatures are beginning to fall, here come the rats. We are going to focus on the Norway Rat.
The norway rat was first introduced into the United States in approximately 1775. The norway rat has also been called the brown rat, barn rat, sewer rat, gray rat or wharf rat and is slightly larger then a roof rat. The norway rat weighs less then 1 lb and is typically 12″ to 18″ long, from the nose to the tip of the tail. Norway rats are black, brown or gray in color. Their ears and tail are covered in scales.
Rats have strong teeth that allow them to chew through glass, cinderblock, wire, aluminum and lead.
Rats are widespread in urban, suburban and rural areas. Rats enjoy residing in multi-story dwellings, usually in the basement, on the lower floors, in crawl spaces, storage rooms, under floors, pallets, junk and boards, or behind stored items. Rats are generally found near people. They are primarily nocturnal and extreme opportunists. They prefer fresh food to garbage, but they’ll make do with what’s available. They prefer cereal grains and high-protein foods such as meats (sandwich meats, insects, mice, bird eggs, young birds), fish, nuts, insects, and pet food, and garbage. They’ll eat some fruits (especially dried fruit), cheese, peanut butter, birdseed, potatoes, and vegetables, bacon, butter and lard, compost, and manure. They’ll even eat paraffin wax, leather products, and the feces of dogs, cats, or horses.
Rats are polygamous. Their breeding peaks during the spring and FALL. Females may breed within a day or two of birthing and may produce 4 to 6 litters a year….and how many in a litter….6 to 12. They multiply quickly. Here is an interesting statistic, for every rat you see at night there are 10 more hiding…and if you are seeing them during the day and night, you have a serious rat infestation.
Rats can cause extensive damage to building and household goods as they seek food, shelter and water. They’ll gnaw on siding, woodwork, sheet metal, sheetrock, insulation, plastic food containers, papers, packaged good, clothing, mattresses, furniture and even lead or copper pipes. Their nest material may block a vent, creating a fire hazard. They may also chew on wires, which in addition to creating a fire hazard could also short circuit electrical systems, causing alarm systems and refrigerators to fail. On a final note, rats carry diseases, and when they are nibbling on your food or your surroundings they leave behind the potential for leptospirosis, trichinosis, salmonellosis and rat bite fever.
Do you have a rat problem? Here are some helpful hints to assist in determining whether or not you have a rat control issue.
- Sounds; squeaking, scutling, scratching or gnawing inside the walls, ceilings or between florrs of buildings.
- Scat is 1/2 to 3/4″ long with blunt ends. Typically found in Kitchen cabinets, drawers, on counters, under sinks, behind appliances, near food, in cellars, attics and other food storage areas.
- A rats’ urine smells musty and you can sometimes smell their presence.
- Rats will use the same route over and over again. Eventually, a fain dark “trail” of body oil and dirt may be noticeable on baseboards and along walls, on beams, rafters and pipes.
If you believe you are experiencing a pest control rat issue, give Wildlife Busters AKA Rat Busters a call toll free at 1-855-945-1212 and we will resolve your human wildlife conflict. And please don’t be fooled by companies that place you on a maintenance plan with baiting, trapping and euthanizing the rats. The only thing they are doing is creating an annuity plan on your dime. It may be one component to resolving your issue, but they will keep coming back unless you modify your structure and habitat. Here at Wildlife Busters, we realize the importance of consulting with you and providing you with Wildlife Exclusion techniques, that come with a warranty, to provide long term permanent solutions to your human wildlife conflicts.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN CELEBRATION….PRESENT A COPY OF THIS NEWSLETTER AND RECEIVE A 5% DISCOUNT ON WILDLIFE EXCLUSION SERVICES THROUGH NOVEMBER 15, 2011.
Introducing New Services for the Fall:
- Gutter cleaning
- Gutter cover installation
- Attic Insulation installation
Stay tuned for additional services in the spring.
Check our resources page to learn more about a variety of critters visit our wildlife resource by clicking here
Learn more about specific diseases transmitted by wildlife.
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Community Wildlife Programs and Upcoming Events
Saturday November 5th, “Geology of the Shawgunk Mountains” 9:00 am – 1pm. Satruday November 12th, “Live Birds of Prey” 10 am to 11 am.
Saturday, November 5th, “Meet Atka – A Live Gray Wolf” 6 pm. The following programs start at 10 am at the discovery center; Sunday November 6th, “Bear Necessities”, Saturday November 12, “Coyotes”, Sunday November 13th, “Turkey Tales” and Saturday Novermber 19th, “Mind Your Bees Wax” –this one is being held at the wildlife education center.
Saturday, November 12, ” Meet the Resident Animals” 11 am to 12 pm. Sunday, November 20, “2011 Fall Festival” 1 pm to 4 pm. Sunday, November 27th, “Nature Lovers and Artists” 10:30 am to 12 pm.
Beczak Environmental Education Center
Satruday November 12th, ” Sturgeon Stories and Crafts” 11 am to 12 pm. Saturday November 19th “Beaks and Feet” 11 am to 12 pm. For more information please visit;
And for some Wildlife fun all year round visit:
The Bear Mountain Zoo located in the Bear Mountain State Park, NY
“Again, you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your futrue. You have to trust in something–your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”
Steve Jobs, Stanford Commencement Speech 2005
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