Some types of rats can even eat right through various types of metals like copper. One of the worst things rats can cause is the spread of disease to humans and other living things. Some of these diseases can cause serious consequences like rat bite fever and the plague. If you see signs of these animals around your property like large rat droppings the best thing to do is call a professional pest control company to have them eradicated.

What are Rats?
Rats are a type of rodent that is a member of the Rattus classification and are not to be confused with their smaller related species the mouse. Rats are about 3 times larger than the common mouse growing to almost a foot long and weighing over a pound making them also about three to five times heavier than your common mouse.

They are found in almost all fifty states and can cause damage to food and crops and to parts of your house with their constant chewing and knawing. Rats carry and can spread various dangerous diseases. 

The two most common types of rats include the Norway or Brown rat and the roof or black rat which is slightly smaller. The Norway rat stays and lives around the ground floor area of buildings while the roof rat is more agile climbing to the roof areas. The black rat differs in location where it is found which is more in warmer climates near the ocean. These two different kinds of rats are in competition with one another and the bigger Norway rat preys on the smaller roof rat.

Rats are mostly active during the night and have poor vision but make up for it with all the other senses they have. Rats are very clever at learning and checking out new ways to travel in and around your house and can avoid any traps you have set for long periods of time. This is why it is best to call a professional pest control company because they will know how to capture these tricky rats.

Where do Rats Live
Rats can live inside and outside your home. They prefer areas that are moist and include areas around woodpiles and vegetation that has not been cut in a while. They also like to be near your garden area hiding under rocks and other structures. If you have lots of trash or old objects lying around in your yard they like to build nests and live in them. They of course like to live in dark areas like holes and places under your house. Keeping your yard and home clean of unwanted objects can really help to prevent a rat infestation.

Rats can find their way inside through little openings and holes being the clever animals they are. Some places that you will find them inside your house include basements and attics. You can hear them at night when they are active in these places. They like to live in boxes and other storage items in these places.

 Rats often find their way into the insulation areas of the walls of your house. This can be dangerous because they eat things in these areas including wires that can spark a fire! You will also find them in and under storage areas inside your house. They love to hide in tiny spaces and also areas around hot water heating areas.

Why are rats a problem
Rats can cause many dangerous situations including fires, contamination of your food supply and disease to you and your livestock. These rather large creatures also have sharp teeth that can be used very skillfully to chew through your house, walls and storage items.

These rats can dig under your house causing damage to the structures of your house. They love to chew on wood, wires and even metals inside your walls and house.

Rats can eat and chew up your garden and fruit trees throughout your yard. They can get into pet areas and create problems for them. If you see large droppings around these areas be sure to contact a pest control company to safely get rid of them. Contact with these rat droppings can cause the spread of disease to you and your pets. Some of the diseases that can be spread include rat bite fever, plague and Typhus. Rats can enter your house and cause all kinds of problems including keeping you up all night from their ambitious activities.

How to control Rats
Keeping your home and property free of rats requires certain management techniques best left up to an expert from a pest control company. They can give you the best service to controlling and eradicating these rats. Even though you can kill individual rats with chemicals and traps this might not solve your infestation of rats.

Knowing how to control these populations of rats starts with an inspection of your property and buildings. Sanitation and making sure to rid areas of rat attracting objects is also a key step in controlling this population. Another part of controlling rats is to rat-proof your structures and property making sure they can’t enter your home very easily. These pest control professionals will help with this and also exterminate them providing a total management system. 

Alliance Pest Services is rodent (mice and rat) control and removal expert in New Jersey. We offer several services to rodent proof your home or business.  Call today for FREE rodent control inspection service.