Introduction
Rats
will commonly enter homes in search of food or shelter. They are most often
problems in homes during the winter months but can enter at any time of the
year. Usually a house has either rats or mice, rarely both. It is important
that the problem be accurately identified so proper control measures can be
performed.
Rats
are usually
found in attics or basements. Their droppings are about the size of a large
raisin. Rats are often first noticed because of the running or gnawing
noises they make.
Damage can be caused
to foods and your belongings. Besides eating food, their droppings and urine
can contaminate remaining items and cause odours. People will not tolerate
seeing these pests running about in their house or place of work. They may
damage items with their gnawing. Sometimes electrical fires are caused by
damaged wires.
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Rat Gnawed Wire |
Two different species of rat occur in the Victoria area. The
more common is the Roof Rat. Roof rats are
excellent climbers. They frequently enter homes to nest in attics. Outdoors,
the roof rat often lives in trees. Our other rat is the Norway
Rat. Norway rats tend to live in basements and crawl spaces. Outdoors,
they often live underground and in sewers.
Rats have between 4 and 7 litters per year with an average
litter size of 8 to 12 young. They reach sexual maturity between 2 and 4
months of age.
Rats can:
-
climb any rough surface
-
jump almost a meter (40 in.) straight up
-
jump more than a meter horizontally
-
pass through any opening bigger than 1.3 cm (1/2 in.)
square
-
climb the inside or outside of most vertical pipes
-
reach about 33 cm (13 in.) above a flat surface
-
walk along horizontal wires and climb vertical wires
-
gnaw on almost anything
-
produce rub marks (dark smudges rubbed onto surfaces
which they contact as they travel and are produced from oils on their
fur )
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Rub Marks Along Rat Pathway to Hole
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Control
Prevention
Click here to go to the
prevention
section.
| |
If you need service for
controlling a Rat problem or for Rat Dropping Clean Up and Removal,
call us now.
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Thanks for visiting http://www.pestvictoria.com
PES Professional Ecological Services Ltd.
98-B Burnside Road West, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
V9A 1B5
Phone: (250) 383-2445
Fax: (250) 383-6775
e-mail: pestvictoria@shawbiz.ca
We provide professional integrated pest
management (IPM) services, a high-tech form of pest control. We are called
professional pest managers, not exterminators or fumigators. We provide
pest management, not extermination or fumigation. Excluding pests before they
cause a pest offence is a good example of IPM at work.
If You Need Professional
Services from Your Pest Control and
Pest
Management Experts,
for pests in Greater Victoria, British Columbia (B.C. or BC), Canada
Contact Us Now!
© Copyright PES Professional Ecological Services Ltd.
February 2002
contact webmaster at: pestvictoria@shawbiz.ca
