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Rats
Signs of Rat Infestations
In the Carolinas, there are two common species of rats?Norway (or brown) rats, and Roof (or black) rats. Adults of both species measure 10 inches in length. Signs of rats infestation include:
- Seeing live or dead rats inside or outside your home
- Scratching noises in your attic or walls
- The sound of animals running across your roof
- Holes in your walls
- Droppings
Myths vs facts
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Myth
Mice and rats have no bones. That’s why they can squeeze into tight spaces -
Fact
Mice and rats are vertebrae rodents but are muscularly flexible as an adaptation that affords them the ability to squeeze into tight spaces. This allows them to harbor and breed effectively.
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Myth
Rats can grow to the size of domestic household cats, especially in urban area where food is abundant. -
Fact
Rats can grow abnormally large but not the size of an average household cat, which weighs about 10 lbs.
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Myth
Place peanut butter on a glue board to catch more rodents. Glue traps without something on them don’t work. -
Fact
Peanut butter weakens the stickiness of glue boards. It’s best to reserve this tactic for snap traps.
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Myth
For every human in an urban city, there’s one rat. -
Fact
Reproduction of rodents doesn’t depend on how many humans exist but on conditions conducive to breeding and harboring.
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Myth
Catching a rat is the solution to a rat problem. -
Fact
Rats become pregnant five times a year and average 14 offspring. Catching one rat won’t solve a rat problem.
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Myth
Rodents are a sign of poor sanitation. Rodents will feed only on filth. -
Fact
Rodents prefer fresh food and clean surroundings but will infest any place at any time if given the opportunity and the right conditions for them to reproduce.
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Myth
Rats and mice don’t have bladders and are urinating constantly. -
Fact
They have bladders. The misconception lies in the fact that they use their urine as a form of communication, which causes them to mark their territory constantly.
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Myth
Mice will become rats; so throw a lot of poison fast before they grow up. -
Fact
We’ve all heard this one. Rats and mice are two different species and their control is equally different. The key to effective rodent control is to perform proper inspections and then provide a tailored, integrated treatment plan, not tossing around poison and hoping for the best.
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Myth
Rats are always aggressive, never shy. -
Fact
Rats can become aggressive if cornered, but normally they’re very shy and will try to run into an established burrow if they sense danger.