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Description:
Two species of rats are common in Southern California, the Roof rat
and the
Norway rat. From nose to rump, the body length of these rats range from
7 to
9 inches, excluding their tails. Both are gray-brown in color and have
hairless tails, a whiskered snout and prominent ears. The head of the Roof
rat appears
pointed with large ears and a slender body. The tail is longer than the
entire length of the body. The head of the Norway rat appears slightly blunt
with
short ears and a robust body. The tail is shorter than the entire length
of the body.
Biology:
Of the hundreds of retail, commercial and industrial buildings served by Pestgon,
Inc., the Roof rat is the most common rat found inside. As the name implies,
Roof rats tend to inhabit the upper areas such as attics and ceiling voids.
Outside they inhabit trees like palms and dense ground covers like ivy on embankments
and crib walls. Rats are generally nocturnal and will forage for food throughout
an entire building. All rats seek out the dumpsters, garbage areas and food
court areas. They are particularly attracted to bakeries, doughnut shops and
pastry shops. In a short time, they can reproduce at an alarming rate. Visual
sightings of rats in the daytime, generally means that a moderate to high population
exists.
Economic Impact:
Beside the natural revulsion that people have for rats in their environment,
they are very contaminating and destructive to buildings. Rats urinate
often creating stains and offensive odors. In a year’s time a single
rat will produce about 25,000 feces droppings. They also commonly do
damage to
electrical
wiring by chewing off the insulation. It is estimated that 25% of fires,
of an unknown origin, are caused by rats. Add to this, the well known,
disease factor such as Plague, Murine typhus fever, Salmonellosis, etc.,
and it makes
sound economic sense to have the experts of Pestgon, Inc. as your pest
management professionals.
Management Methods:
Pestgon, Inc. is very knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with nuisance
rat problems in commercial, office and industrial buildings. As with
most pests, prevention and exclusion are the first line of defense. Sanitation
and rat-proofing
are major considerations. Trapping inside and bait stations around the
perimeter of the buildings, using approved rodenticides, are also part
of Pestgon’s
overall strategy of rat prevention and elimination.
Addtional Links:
http://www.ipm.ucdavis.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn74106.html