Rats
Rats have strong ever-growing incisor teeth that allow them to chew through breeze block, wire, aluminium, concrete, wood and lead.
HOW TO IDENTIFY A RAT PROBLEM? If you think you've got a rat problem, take a look round your premises for entrance points outside. You might also find large droppings, evidence of damage or footprints.
 Rats can swim up U-Bends and waste pipes
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 They reproduce at an alarming rate
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 Rats use sounds, smell, touch and postures to communicate with each other.
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 Rats have excellent memories. Once they learn a route, they never forget it.
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Common Types Of Rat
The most common types of rats in the Ireland are the Brown Rat, otherwise known as the Norway Rat, and the Black or Roof Rat.
The Brown Rat
The Brown Rat is up to 40 cm in length, and it’s tail is shorter than it’s body and head. These rats grow up to 500g in weight, and usually have a blunt nose, thicker body and small ears. When these rats reproduce, they can have 5-10 young per litter, and will have 3-6 litters per year. That’s a lot of babies! Their pregnancies only last 3 weeks, and they reach sexual maturity between 10-12 weeks after their birth. This species prefers to burrow and will live in the ground. These rodents are especially sneaky because of their amazing climbing abilities.
The Brown Rat is in fact the only one of all the types of rats in the Ireland to be found in the country’s sewer system. When it comes to food, they love cereals and breads. Any type of carbohydrate will do for them, but they really love the fresh stuff. They only need to eat around 30g of food a day to survive, and will drink around 60ml of water a day.
The Black Rat
The Black rat measures smaller, between 16-24cm in length, with a tail that is longer than its head and body. It weighs less as well, growing up to around 200g in weight. They have a sharp pointed nose, large ears and a more slender body compared to the Brown Rat. However their reproduction is very much the same. They produce around 5-10 young per litter, and have the same amount of litter per year at 3-6. They are pregnant for 3 weeks, and will reach sexual maturity between 12-16 weeks after they’re born.
Black Rats are a lot more rare in the Ireland, usually appearing around the ports and harbours.
RAT PREVENTION AND CONTROL
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If you’ve seen signs and evidence of any of these types of rats in or around your home, it’s really important to have them treated immediately before it turns into a serious infestation. Remember that rats breed at an alarming rate, and one rat can turn into 100 very quickly. The team here at Environmental Pest Solutions are ready and waiting for your call.
Here are our top tips on ways that you can help prevent rodent problems in and around your property.
- Keep all foodstuffs far away out of reach. If you have leftovers, put them in the fridge in a sealed container. It’s also important to put your cereals and other dry foodstuffs in metal or glass containers with tight fitting lids.
- Declutter your home and around the garden. The less clutter there is, the less places a rat will have to hide. It also makes pest control treatments easier to do if you have a tidy home.
- Put your rubbish in securely lidded bins to stop rats getting into them and feeding on your waste.
- Any pet food or bird seed needs to be cleaned up immediately. Leaving this around is a readily available food source for a rat – a big attraction for them to infest your property.
