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[U.S. National Park Service - Public Domain]
NORWAY RAT
Rattus norvegicus
- Rats are instinctively wary of traps and bait, and colonize in attics, burrows, under concrete and porches, and in wall voids and other hard to reach places, which makes controlling them difficult. They normally hide during daylight hours, and avoid brightly lit spaces.
- Rats can harbor and transmit a number of serious diseases. They can also introduce disease-carrying parasites such as fleas, lice and ticks into your home. Rat urine and droppings (capsule shaped) contain microbes that can cause very serious illnesses. Because of the potential health concerns, anyone suspecting a rat problem in their home or business should contact a pest professional immediately.
- Norway rats can have shaggy gray, brown or black fur, with small eyes, small ears, and a blunt nose. Their grow up to 8" in body length, with a tail of about 4" in length. Rats reach sexual maturity at only two months old, and can be very prolific breeders during any month of the year. One litter can produce eight-to-twelve offspring, and females can have four-to-seven litters per year. Adult Norway rats can live up to one year.
- They normally nest underground, but will enter buildings in search of food, particularly during Autumn months when outdoor food sources become scarce. In addition to invading homes, they are a particular problem around warehouses, urban areas, and agricultural buildings. They prefer meats, but are fully omnivorous. They cannot survive for long without a water source. Care should be taken in food preparation and storage areas to secure pantry stocks in rat-proof containers such as hard plastic, glass, or metal. Pet foods are extremely attractive to rats, and so the same storage rules apply. Any leaky plumbing should be repaired to avoid providing rats a constant water source. If food and water are in constant supply indoors, once established, they will usually remain in the controlled indoor environment rather than returning to outdoor burrows.
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This page is intended as a quick reference. Pest experts should be contacted for case-by-case evaluation if you believe that you have a pest problem that requires professional assistance.
Some information found in this overview has been compiled from household pest information sheets published by the Penn State University Extension Office: Rodent Fact Sheet, and by the National Pest Management Association: Pest Guide. This information is included on this web site strictly to help in the identification of various pests, and no profit is directly derived there from. To read the complete fact sheets, which also include helpful tips on how to avoid attracting these pests, what types of elimination can be handled in the home vs. what types of elimination require the assistance of a professional, visit the respective links.
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