Rats: A Common Invader
In the grand scheme of pests known throughout history, rats are right up there with the worst of them. They can thrive in many environments, but they have especially flourished in urban America, where there's ample food and shelter. Many property owners have found themselves with rats, and these are the two most common species:
- Norway Rats: These are the largest of the invasive rat species, and the ones also often associated with the sewer. They are dark gray and can grow to over a foot long.
- Roof Rats: Smaller than Norway rats but no less formidable, roof rats tend to nest in high-up areas of a home, such as the attic. They can be brown or gray.
Is It Mice Or Rats?
Rodents are incredibly territorial animals. As warm-blooded mammals, they are only concerned with making sure they and their families have access to food, water, and warmth. They don't like living near other pests that will use up their necessities. That's why when homes are infested; it's with either mice or rats, not both. This behavior only increases the likelihood that more individual dwellings can become infested. Learning how to tell these two common rodents apart helps with addressing the problem.
Mice
- Size: Mice are much smaller than full-grown rats, usually only a few inches in length, including their long tails.
- Shape: With their more compact size, mice are more fuzzy than rats, with triangular faces and large, round ears atop their heads.
- Droppings: Mice droppings are smaller than rat feces, often with pinched ends on both sides.
Rats
- Size: Rats can frequently grow to between six inches and a foot long. Norway rats especially grow large.
- Shape: Rats have large round haunches and long, narrow faces. Their ears are pinched at the corners and sit further back on their head.
- Droppings: Rat droppings are often crescent-shaped, with pinched feces that curl upward.
The Dangers Of A Rat Problem
Rats and mice pose many of the same problems, but rats are much larger and hardier, resistant to most at-home removal methods. Here are some of the issues rats can cause if they infest your home:
- Damage: Rats must constantly file their front teeth by chewing on hard household surfaces. This gnawing leads to ruined materials in homes.
- Filth: Rats live in filth and don't clean up very well, contributing to dirty conditions and odors that permeate a home.
- Disease: As if the other gross factors weren't enough, rats are also known to spread harmful diseases and parasites.
Superior Rodent Protection
With the many problems they can cause, all hidden from view until it's too late to do anything about them, rats pose a unique threat to homeowners. Rather than leave it all to yourself to spot infestation signs, enlist the help of local experts who know what to look for. At The Original Bugman Pest Elimination, our trained technicians can help determine if your home is vulnerable to rodents, and take preventative measures that help you stay protected. If we find rats, you can trust our solutions to eradicate the problem, not just cover it up.
Don't wait for a rat problem to become a full-blown emergency, call The Original Bugman Pest Elimination to get started on proper rat protection.
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