Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus)

The Definitive Guide to Rat Control and Where to Find a
Wildlife Control Professional!

Are you frustrated and tired of dealing with the Damage caused by WILDLIFE. This site deals with WILDLIFE DAMAGE and steps the "Do it yourselfer" can take to protecting your property from the damage caused by Wildlife in your area.

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Identification

Roof Rat

The roof rat (Rattus rattus) is one of two introduced rats found in the contiguous 48 states. The Norway rat is the other species and is better known because of its widespread distribution. When distinguishing the Norway rat from the Roof rat, pull the tail back over the body. The tail of the Roof rat will reach the nose. The tail of the Norway rat will not reach beyond the ears. Rattus rattus is commonly known as the roof rat, black rat or ship rat. Roof rats were common on early sailing ships and apparently arrived in this country by that route. This rat has a long record as a carrier of plague.

Norway Rat

The Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) is a stocky burrowing rodent, unintentionally introduced to North America by settlers who arrived on ships from Europe. First introduced into the United States about 1775, this rat has now spread throughout the contiguous 48 states. The Norway rat is found generally at lower elevations but may be found wherever humans live. Also called the brown rat, house rat, barn rat, sewer rat, gray rat, or wharf rat, it is a slightly larger animal than the roof rat. The nose is blunt, the ears are small, close set and do not reach the eyes when pulled down. The tail is scaly, semi-naked and shorter than the head and body combined. Adult Norway rats weigh an average of about 1 pound. Their fur is coarse and usually is brownish or reddish-gray above, and whitish-gray on the belly.

Wood Rat

Eight species of woodrats (genus Neotoma) occur in North America. Locally known as pack rats or trade rats, these rodents are about the size of the common Norway rat. They are distinguishable from Norway rats by their hairy rather than scaly tail, soft, fine fur, and large ears. They usually have light-colored feet and bellies.

Range

Roof rats range along the lower half of the East Coast and throughout the Gulf States upward into Arkansas. They also exist all along the Pacific Coast and are found on the Hawaiian Islands (Fig. 2). The roof rat is more at home in warm climates, and apparently less adaptable, than the Norway rat, which is why it has not spread throughout the country. Its worldwide geographic distribution suggests that it is much more suited to tropical and semitropical climates.

Norway rats live in close association with people. 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 sometimes 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. Although they can climb, Norway rats tend to inhabit the lower floors of multistory buildings.

Each species of Wood rat is generally restricted to a given type of habitat within its range. Wood rats occur from low, hot, dry deserts to cold, rocky slopes above timberlines. They range through out the US.

Damage Caused by Rats

Damage caused Wood rats

These rodents eat and contaminate food, damage buildings and other property by their gnawing and burrowing, and may spread diseases that affect people and pets.

Control Methods

There is no magic in rat control. We are unaware of any solid evidence that ultrasonic pest control devices work to repel rats. Click here to learn more.

Remove all food sources, including trash.
Remove open water sources to every extent possible.
Remove harborage.
Don't leave debris around your property. This includes, wood piles, tall grass, creeping vines or bushes, scrub brush etc.
Stop access to buildings.

Warning, don't simply close off access points to your building unless you are certain those access points are not being used by animals. Imprisoning an animal inside your building is a very bad idea. For it may damage property before it dies and if it dies, it may smell.

To see if an access point is being used, simply cork the opening with newspaper. If a rat is using the opening, it will simply chew through the paper or push it out of the way. Leave it for 2-3 days (wait longer during extreme weather)

If the paper doesn't move, then you can safely close the hole.

Click here to learn more about rat access prevention. Remember, if you mouse proof your building you have rat proofed it as well.

Contact your Local health department to see if they can step up sewer poison rat control. Cities and towns often cut rodent control budgets which allow the rat reservoir in the sewers to spill over to residential communities.

Institute a trapping program. (warning rat trapping takes some patience and experience).

Before you begin trapping for rats, be sure to read up on how to control them. To see our rat traps visit our Store here . Don't relocate rats. Rats have been known to travel 4 miles away from the spot they were relocated.

For best results contact a Wildlife Control Professional. For more information on Control methods and equipment, click here.