Norway Rats
Click on image to enlarge
The Norway rat is larger and more aggressive than the Roof Rat.
Norway Rats Appearance:
As an adult the Norway Rat can weigh between 12-16 oz. with a body length
of 6-8 inches long. The nose is blunt with small ears, and small eyes.
The fur is shaggy and coarse with variation in colors. The tail is shorter
than the head and body combined, and scaly.
Norway Rats Inspection
The droppings are 1/4 to 1/2 inch in length, capsule shaped, with blunt
ends. They are usually a shiny black, but may vary according to their
diets.
Norway Rats and Roof Rats will leave a hind foot track of about 3/4-1
inch where a mouse's track measure's 3/8 of an inch or less.
Rats will also drag their tails, leaving a mark between their feet tracks.
Unscented baby powder or flour, lightly sprinkled can help you determine
tracks and their runways as they cross suspected areas.
Gnawing holes from rats are about 2 inches or more in diameter. They
have rough edges. They prefer to gnaw on wood, but can damage electrical
wiring.
Rat burrows can be found along foundations, or beneath rubbish and shubbery.
If the burrow is active it usually clear of vegetation. Rat runways are
smooth and well packed. Indoors, these runways are free of dust and dirt.
To see a picture of tracks and droppings-click here
UV Pro Tracker Urine Tracker Led UV Light to help detect presence of rodent urine for easier inspection.
Norway Rats Diet:
They prefer foods with a high protein or carbohydrate content, but will
eat almost any type of food. They need water to survive, unlike mice.
Norway Rats Habits and Biology:
The young rats reach sexual maturity in 2-3 months, females average
4-7litters a year, with 8-12 pups per litter. Adults live about a year.
They live in colonies. The Norway rat generally prefers to live in underground
tunnels. On farms, they will be near a food source: barns, granaries,
livestock buildings, and silos. In the cities, they will be in the ground
in their is available space, but have been known live entirely inside
buildings. Rats will seek food outside, but many times will come inside
at night to forage for food and return to their burrows. Needing a water
source, they can obtain water from toilets, sinks, rain puddles, or condensation
from utility pipes. Their nesting burrows on the outside are often along
the foundation of walls. As the rat family grows, more burrows are built,
resulting in a network of underground tunnels.
Inside, the Norway Rat commonly nest on the lower levels, but if the
population is too large, they may be found in the attic and ceiling areas.
Their nests are built from soft material like paper or grass chewed
into small pieces. Rats will climb if necessary to enter a building, the
Norway Rat is an excellent swimmer.
Norway Rats are suspicious of changes in the environment or new foods,
for this reason it may take a couple of days for traps or poison baits
to take. Rats are nocturnal, with their peak activity at dusk or before
dawn. When the population is large or they are disturbed or hungry, you
can see activity during the day.
Roof Rats
Click on image to enlarge.
Roof Rats Appearance:
The Roof Rat is smaller and more slender than the bigger Norway Rat.
The adults weigh about 5-9 ounces,7-10 inches long. The tail is longer
than the head and body combined. They have large ears and a pointed nose.
The fur is smooth, as opposed to the Norway rat with it's shaggy fur.
Roof Rats Inspection
Refer to the section on
Rodent inspection.
Much would be the same except the droppings are spindle shaped instead
of capsule shaped and the droppings reach about 1/4 inch in size.
The tail markings and hind feet markings are the same.
Runways for Roof Rats are difficult to determine.
To see a picture of tracks and droppings-click here
UV Pro Tracker Urine Tracker Led UV Light to help detect presence of rodent urine for easier inspection.
Roof Rats DIET:
They prefer seeds, nuts, fresh vegetables and fruits, but will eat meat
and grain products.
Roof Rats Habits and Biology:
They become sexually mature in 2-3 months, with 4-6 litters per year,
4-8 pups per litter.
The Roof Rat is a climber, commonly nesting in areas above the ground:
trees, vines, attics, ceiling voids, or in voids along the roof line.
These rats enter your home much like
squirrels. As their population grows they will nest in underground
burrows.
Roof rats are suspicious of changes in the environment or new foods,
for this reason it may take a couple of days for traps or poison baits
to take. Rats are nocturnal, with their peak activity at dusk or before
dawn. When the population is large or they are disturbed or hungry, you
can see activity during the day.
How to Get Rid of Norway and Roof Rats : Trapping and
Baiting
After an inspection of the rat activity, rat control or elimination is done
by trapping or baiting.
Ideally rodent proofing or General
rodent exclusion exclusion is your best recommendation, making it
impossible to gain entry into your homes or structures
It may be impossible to exclude all mice,since even a adult mouse can
pass through openings 3/8 " wide.
Generally all openings greater that 1/4" should be sealed to exclude
mice. For rats, all openings greater that 1/2" should be sealed.
Please read section on Sanitation, as it
is the first consideration in rodent control.
Trapping: Non Chemical Control
There are several advantages for using traps:
1. Safer than potential hazardous poison baits
2. Quick, immediate results
3. Easy disposal of dead rodents avoiding odor problems that will
occur if rodenticides kill rodents in inaccessible areas.
Types of traps: Snap Traps, Glue Traps and Live Traps
Rat Snap Traps
Mouse Snap Traps
You may need more traps than you think is warranted.
- Rats
are often shy of new objects and placing unset traps in a new location
for a week or two will increase the opportunities of catching. This
will acclimate the rats to the traps, once acclimated, set enough traps
to kill the a large percentage of the population before the rodents
become "trap shy." This is called mass trapping, trapping them at a
higher rate than they can repopulate and become shy of the trap.
There may be a need to have as many as 2-3 dozen rat traps set in
place in a commercial establishment, in an infested trash room for
example. By having these rat traps baited with a Rat/Squirrel lure or
peanut butter unset, a large population would be use to feeding on
around the traps. When the rat traps are then simultaneously set after
a while of this "feeding", a large kill can be obtained.
The spring on the rat
snap trap is very strong,(it could break a finger) so keep it out of
reach of your pets and small children. An alternate solution would be
using the Trapper T Snap Traps with a protective bait station. The T
Rex traps are designed to fit perfectly in the protecta bait stations.
The Trapper
T Rex Trap for both rats
and mice (two
different sizes) will fit in the protecta
bait stations to help keep non targeted animals and children away
from the traps.
-
Multiple Mice
Catch Traps - (For Mice))
-
Glue
Traps
Mice Glue Traps and Rat Glue Traps
-
Live Animal Traps -for rats, flying squirrels, squirrels and chipmunks
-
Squirrel Control: Trapping
- Human or dead-rodent odors on traps do not cause a reduction in trapping the population, but the odors of the natural predators, such as dogs or cats can cause an aversion to the traps.
Do not touch pets, prior to handling the traps.
- Avoid handling dead rodents with bare hands to prevent contact with ectoparasites or diseased animals.
- Avoid storing glue traps in vehicles during warm weather without placing them in a cooler.
Rodenticides: Chemical Control
Rodenticides and Bait Stations
Rat
Baiting Tips
Rodenticides are poison baits and should be used in areas where domestic
animals and children can't reach. However there are resistant -tamper bait stations that hold the baits in place and keep children and
pets out. It is a national law and guideline to use resistant-tamper proof
bait stations in areas where children or pets could access.
We carry single feeding bait(requires just one feeding for a lethal dose.
The baits come in pellets or block forms.
Top Loader Rat Bait Stations-
Unique design to fit in trees, ledges, ect.
Rat Baiting Tips for Norway and Roof Rats
Some of the general tips for
baiting mice also apply for baiting techniques for rat control.
Some extra tips include:
- Eliminate the rat's natural food source as much as possible. It is
much easier to introduce rat bait to the population with less food choices.
- Space baits between 15 and 50 feet apart for rats( mice bait placements
are much closer).
As with mice bait placement techniques use closer spacing of bait placements
in a heavy infestation, placing bait between their harboraging areas
and food sources.
- It is very helpful to use rat
size bait stations to encourage feeding. They provide the rat with
an attractive , protective feeding area.
- Once these rat bait stations are placed, avoid moving them. Some rats
have a reaction against moved objects.
Of course after a time, and the rats are not taking the bait , it would
warrant moving the station.
- Rats consume much more bait than mice. Each rat may consume 1 ounce
or more nightly. Keep plenty of bait available to refill the bait stations.
- In damp conditions use weather resistant blox/block forms.
If necessary tie down the bait in order to prevent them from washing
away.
Roof Rats : Further Baiting Tips
All the information above apply to Roof Rats as well with some additional
tips because roof rats may be active above ground level as well.
Always try to place rat baits between there harboraging areas and all food
sources.
- Place bait above ground, such as the rafters and garages, fence rails,
trees, telephone phones, etc. They should be tied securely so non targeted
animals and children may not access them.
- Roof rats may travel quite a distance to access food. In residential
areas for example, roof rats may travel from harboring areas in trees
to feed in garbage cans, pet dishes , etc.
- Inspect dense cover areas, because roof rats like to rest and feed
in these areas.
These are areas that you will want to place your rat bait or rat traps.
- Roof rats like to feed on smaller amounts and various locations than
the bigger sized Norway Rat.
Provide more areas for feeding.
- You can use PVC pipes(2 inches in diameter) as bait stations to bait
on narrow ledges and overhead areas.
Bait blocks should be wired, and the PVC pipe affixed to the areas.
