Rats

The most commonly found rat pest in United States is the Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus). The Norway rat is also called brown rat, house rat, sewer rat, and wharf rat. The Norway rat is generally considered the most important rat in the United States. It is found in every state.

Rats (Rattus spp.) have caused more human suffering and more economic damage than any other vertebrate pest. From causing plague epidemics (the "Black Death" of Europe) to rat-bite fever, whether feeding on stored grain or gnawing electric wires, rats are enemies of humankind. Statisticians estimate that rats destroy 20 percent of the world's food supply every year by feeding, and indirectly through contamination.

In most instances, rats are very wary. Hundreds may be nesting in a city block-in underground burrows, in sewers, on roofs, inside buildings-with few people in the area realizing it. Within a population, some rats will be easy to control, some difficult.

Successful long-term rat control is not simple. The key is to control rat populations, not individual rats. Rat control requires an integrated approach that includes non-lethal tools such as careful inspections, upgraded sanitation, and rat-proofing structures. Lethal control often combines the use of rodenticides with non-toxic control measures such as snap traps or glue boards.

Long-term relief from rats means addressing the reasons behind an infestation to avoid problems later. Exclusion is one step of this process. Foundation cracks, loose-fitting screens, and holes for pipe access all provide chances for rats to come in. Trained specialists can identify entry points and modify the building with sealants, wire mesh, or other barriers to keep the pests out.

Rats are responsible for the spread of many diseases. Sometimes they transmit the disease directly by contaminating food with their urine or feces. Sometimes they transmit disease indirectly, for example, when fleas first bite an infected rat, then a person. Some of the more important diseases associated with rats include Rat-Bite Fever and Leptospirosis. These diseases often share similar symptoms, and medical professionals must perform the proper diagnoses.

Critter Control’s rat control technicians are properly trained in how to get rid of rats and the elimination of rat problems using a variety of rat control techniques. These techniques include improving sanitation for the affected location, eliminating hiding places, exclusion and may also include lethal methods such as traps and rodenticides. Killing the rats may not be the best answer (it is not as simple as just exterminating them all) . Our professional wildlife professionals may not show you how to kill the rats but instead use rat repellents, rat fumigants and rat trapping systems to ensure the effectiveness of the rat control method, without physically harming the rats.