Brown rats, also known as sewer rats or Norway rats, are grayish-brown. Their tails are shorter than their bodies, and their eyes and ears appear smaller than their bodies. Rats of all species are generally larger than mice. Rats are hazardous to our health and property. You must take action immediately if you have rats in your home or business.
Why Should Brown Rats Be Kept Under Control?
Brown rats carry a variety of dangerous diseases that they can transmit to humans through their urine. Leptospirosis or Weil’s disease, Salmonella, Listeria, Toxoplasma gondii, and Hantavirus are a few examples.
Brown rats can cause significant structural damage. They can start fires by chewing through the insulation around electrical cables, flood by puncturing pipes, and even die by chewing through gas lines. According to the insurance industry, rodent damage to wiring is responsible for 25% of all electrical fires in buildings.
How Can Brown Rats Be Avoided?
You can take the following precautions to try to avoid a brown rat infestation:
- Seal gaps around pipes and under sheds to prevent rats from entering; rats can fit through a 15mm gap.
- Check that the drain inspection covers are in good condition.
- Close dustbin lids, cover compost heaps, and cover any household waste Brown Rats can access.
- If you feed garden birds, do so sparingly and preferably with a bird table or feeder basket.
Are Brown Rats A Threat?
The brown rat transmits diseases directly and indirectly by biting people and contaminating food. They have historically been vectors for diseases such as bubonic plague, leptospirosis, tularemia, spotted fever, Hantavirus, typhus, salmonella food poisoning, infectious jaundice, and a variety of others.
Disease threats are especially concerning because of their preferential proximity to humans, who unwittingly provide food and shelter for them. Their reproduction rates are equally disturbing. Because the milk smell attracts them, they have been known to bite babies in their cribs.
What Do Brown Rats Consume?
They will eat almost anything, but their favorite foods are meats and fresh grains. They need half an ounce to one ounce of water daily while eating dry food. Rats have a keen sense of taste, smell, and hearing and will enter any structure if the opening is at least half an inch wide. Brown rats are prolific breeders who reproduce all year long if food is available.
When Do Brown Rats Reproduce?
Females typically have seven to eight litters per year and have seven to eight young per litter. They also have postpartum estrus and can mate just 18 hours after giving birth. Their young are completely independent after about four weeks and sexually mature at three months. Males tend to reproduce later in life when they are larger and more capable of challenging dominant males. Brown rats will reproduce until they are one and a half to two years old, with a three-year lifespan.
What’s Next?
Because brown rats can make such a mess, it is critical to address any potential issues as soon as possible. The importance of sanitation cannot be overstated. Seal openings larger than a half-inch diameter and contact Vinx Pest Control for much-needed assistance. We offer our customers the highest quality pest control services along with exceptional customer service.