The Norway Rat was once a New York problem but it seems they have made their way south down to Florida too. However it’s hard for most home and business owners to know if this rodent has made themselves comfortable at their establishment. Southeast Florida Pest Control has been dealing with the Norway Rat now for 25 years and wants to help you know if the Norway Rat is an unwanted guest at your place.
Brown Norway Rat Facts
The Norway Rat typically lives in burrows near water and a food source. It’s hard to known if you have a Norway Rat causing you problems because they hide in their burrows during the day and come out only at night to find food and water. If you get a chance to see a Norway Rat, you will see they are about 7 to 9 inch long. They have a small blunt nose with small ears. They have a brownish shaggy top coat with either a grey or white under belly. Their tails are shorter than the rest of their body, making it a unique trait of the Norway Rat.
Norway Rat Infestation Population Sizes
The Norway Rat will burrow in family groups with dominate and subordinated members; however they don’t work together like ant or other cooperative social groups. Norway Rats are omnivorous meaning they eat everything that scavengers will. They’ll also catch small prey like mice or insects if they get the chance. Norway Rats haves a short life span of only a year. They can reproduce every month and have anywhere between four to twenty-two babies at a time. This means they have the potential for twelve litters in a lifetime. This fact makes their population massive in numbers. In turn, this causes a problem to businesses and homes. Norway Rats are very destructive. They also carry disease, making them an unwanted pest.
Signs of Norway Rat Rodents
Knowing signs of an infestation will aid you in preventing an overwhelming rodent population. Because the Norway Rats hide during the day to avoid making their presence known, it’s difficult to determine if you have rats or mice. One of the best signs in making the determination will be the size of the droppings left behind. The Norway Rat’s droppings are large and pill shaped. If you’re seeing signs of damage chew marks on food or even your utilities, you may have rats. Another sign of rodent activity is smudge marks on the wall where they are running back a forth. The darker the smudge mark, the more activity in that area.
Norway Rat Prevention
To help prevent an outbreak, you must limit the resources. Eliminate any water that they can use. Check for leaky pipes, hoses etc. Garbage is the biggest problem. You must eliminate the food source. Make sure your garbage bags are tightly tied off, preventing the smell that will draw the rodents in. But that by itself is not enough. You will also need to make sure your trash cans or dumpsters are sealed shut. Any food inside your home or office should be sealed off as well. The next step to take of is keeping clutter off the premises. If there is a pile of yard debris or other piles of trash, rats will hide and breed in these places.
Removal of Norway Rats
Southeast Florida Pest Control wants to help you prevent the Norway Rat from becoming your next vendetta. You can also place traps and poisons in the many paths that they travel. However be careful. If you use traps you not only trap the rodent but also their diseases. Place newspapers under the traps for easy clean up of the area and sanitize the trap before reuse. Poisons should not be used in some areas as poison can pose a threat to not just rodents but everything else in the area. Be cautious when using poisons. If you need advice or help when dealing with the Norway Rat Southeast Florida Pest Control is here to help! We have access to more effective products as well as the training, skill and expertise to use them responsibly.