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Norway Rats
Norway Rat Habitats
The Norway rat lives in close association with people and therefore cause Norway rat problems in populated areas. In urban or suburban areas they live in and around residences, in cellars, warehouses, stores, slaughterhouses, docks and in sewers. On farms they may inhabit barns, granaries, livestock buildings, silos, and kennels. They may burrow to make nests under buildings and other structures, beneath concrete slabs, along stream banks, around ponds, in garbage dumps and at other locations where suitable food, water and shelter are present.
How To Identity Norway Rat Problems
Although they can climb, Norway rats tend to inhabit the lower floors of multistory buildings. Sounds such as gnawing, climbing in walls, clawing, various squeaks, and fighting noises are common where rats are present, particularly at times of the day when they are most active.
Norway Rat Habits
Norway rats usually construct nests in below-ground burrows or at ground level. Nests may be lined with shredded paper, cloth, or other fibrous material. Norway rats have physical capabilities that enable them to gain entry to structures by gnawing, climbing, jumping, swimming, and other tactics. During it's daily activities, a rat normally travels an area averaging 100 to 150 feet (30 to 45 m) in diameter. Rats seldom travel farther than 300 feet (100 m) from their burrows to obtain food or water.
Norway Rat Damage & Norway Rat Problems
Norway rat problems and Norway rat damage occur because they consume and contaminate foodstuffs and animal feed. They cause structural Norway rat damage to buildings by burrowing and gnawing. They undermine building foundations and slabs, cause settling in roads and railroad track beds, and damage the banks of irrigation canals and levees. Norway rats also may gnaw on electrical wires or water pipes, either in structures or below ground. They damage structures further by gnawing openings through doors, window sills, walls, ceilings, and floors. Considerable damage to insulated structures can occur as a result of rat burrowing and nesting in walls and attics.
Why Should A Critter Control Professional Handle Norway Rat Problems?
One of the biggest Norway rat problems is that they carry diseases. Among the diseases rats may transmit to humans or livestock are murine typhus, leptospirosis, trichinosis, salmonellosis (food poisoning), and ratbite fever. Plague is a disease that can be carried by a variety of rodents, but it is more commonly associated with roof rats (Rattus rattus) than with Norway rats.
Contact your local Critter Control office to assit with all of your Norway rat problem and norway rat control needs. Our experts are trained with proper Norway rat removal techniques such as Norway rat trapping. We also offer norway rat control services to prevent future Norway rat damage.
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Not all products and methods mentioned within this site are applicable in the state of New York
