What kind of rat do I have?
No matter what the species, having a rat in your home or business can be quite disturbing and cause your anxiety levels to rise. But by understanding what species of rat is invading your property it can help you to get rid of them quickly and help you to take proper precautions against them in the future. The two most common species of rats to invade homes and businesses are the Norway rat and roof rat.
Norway Rat
Norway rats are brown in color with black hairs sprinkled throughout their coat, they have a long dense body that ranges in length from 7-9 ½ inches in length (not including the tail). Outside, Norway rats are found in fields, near riverbanks, and they especially like burrowing in woodpiles. Like other types of rodents, they try to move indoors in the fall to seek warm shelter for the winter. Norway rats are not known for their climbing skills. Normally, you will find these pests inside basements, crawl spaces, or on the ground floor.
Roof Rat
Roof rats are brown in color with black patches. Their underbelly can be gray, white, or black. Roof rats are a bit smaller than Norway rats, with adults range in length from 6-8 inches (not including the tail). Roof rats live in colonies and will forage for food in groups. Unlike Norway rats, roof rats are not afraid of heights and are good climbers. They are often found nesting in the upper parts of buildings, especially in attic spaces.
Are rats dangerous?
Yes, rats are dangerous for many different reasons. The most obvious reason being that they can carry and transmit a variety of diseases, including Lymphocytic choriomeningitis, Salmonellosis, dysentery, Leptospirosis, and in rare cases, the bubonic plague. They can also introduce other parasites, like fleas and ticks, into your home or business.
Rats are also considered to be dangerous because they can inflict a lot of structural damage to your property. They commonly chew on and sometimes even through pipes, insulation, drywall, and wiring. Along with damaging property, they can destroy personal belongings, inventory, and unfortunately, even your business’ reputation.
How do I get rid of rats?
The best way to get rid of a rat infestation is with the help of a professional. Pest control experts can easily identify what species is causing the damage to your property and quickly implement a specific treatment plan. At Schendel, we can eliminate rats from your home through our Premium Care program.
The Premium Care program includes: a detailed inspection of the interior and exterior of your home, and then a targeted treatment of all areas where activity is present. After the initial treatment, follow-up services will be scheduled that include quarterly interior/exterior or exterior-only service visits. With our PestZero guarantee, you can sleep soundly at night knowing if pests return in between visits, Schendel returns for free!
We also have services that are specifically geared to a large variety of businesses. With our customized commercial pest control services, we can eliminate any current problems you are having with rats, and then help you to maintain a pest free facility. With customized services in place from Schendel’s Total Quality Assured programs, your business, its reputation, and your profits will be safe from rats and other pests!
Can I prevent a rat infestation?
Preventing a rat infestation can be a difficult task because even with their larger size they can actually squeeze themselves through spaces that are only the size of a quarter. However, there are some things that you can do around your property to help stop them from choosing your home or facility to invade.
Rat prevention tips include:
- Seal any cracks or crevices found in your home or facility’s foundation, even those that you think are too small. Also, remember to seal the areas around where utilities enter into your building.
- Caulk any gaps found around exterior doors and windows.
- Keep garage doors, doors to sheds, and other outbuildings shut as much as possible.
- Place woodpiles, compost piles, and other piles of debris away from the exterior of your building.
- Make sure that trash stored outside is kept in receptacles with tight fitting lids and that they are placed away from the outside of your building.
- Trim back trees and bushes away from your home or facility so the rats cannot use the branches to gain easy access to your building.
