The Facts About Rats

• Rats are excellent swimmers, and can swim up to a half-mile in open water or travel through sewer lines against substantial currents, and can tread water for up to three days.
  
  
• Rats can climb effectively, jump up to three feet in the air from a standing position or drop from heights of up to 50 feet without injury.
  
  
• Rats can gnaw through a variety of materials, including lead sheeting, cinderblock, aluminum siding, glass and improperly cured concrete.
  
  
• Rats can squeeze through very small openings: as small as a ½ inch!
  
  
• Weather determines the activity of rodents. Mild weather means more breeding. A Norway rat can produce up to seven litters per year with up to twelve young per litter.
  
  
• Dry weather will cause storm drains and creeks to dry out, driving rodents to seek water in swimming pools, birdbaths and outdoor pet water bowls.
  
  
• Rats almost always leave signs that can lead to their discovery. The top signs to look for are:
  
  
  • droppings or feces
    
    
  • tracks
    
    
  • chewing marks or gnaw marks around the bottom of doors, windows, in walls, floors, along wooden fences, boxes, crates and food packaging
    
    
  • burrows
    
    
  • Marks of pathways
    
    
  • grease marks or rub marks
    
    
  • urine stains (which can be discovered with a blacklight)
    
    
  • live or dead rodents
    
    
  • rodent sounds
    
    
  • rodent odors