Rodents are not mammals you want to share your home with. Rats and mice in Plymouth cause huge problems so let’s take a closer look at their intelligence, how common they are the problems they can cause.
#1 Rats and mice are fast learners
This means that when anything new is introduced into their environment, they avoid it. Professional pest controllers understand the habits and routine of pests like rodents, adapting methods used to eradicate them accordingly.
#2 The black rat is more common in port areas
The black rat is less common in the UK and tends to be found in port areas. This doesn’t mean that rats and mice in Plymouth are more of a problem than anywhere else. The brown rat is the most common rat, but no one knows how big a problem it really is. Some say there is one brown rat per person in the UK, so around 60 million or so, but…..
#3 Rats and mice are prolific breeders
A female brown rat is ‘receptive’ to breeding around 15 times in a year, with a young rat reaching sexual maturity in three to four months. If allowed to breed unchecked, a pair of rats can produce 2,000 descendants a year. The mouse is just as prolific with a short gestation period and high breeding rate.
#4 They carry diseases
Mice and rats are known to carry various pathogens and diseases fatal to humans. Rats, for example, can transmit Weil’s disease, a bacterial infection carried in its blood, tissues and urine. Remember, rats and mice are double-incontinent too.
#5 They constantly gnaw
Rodents are mammals with front teeth that are constantly growing. This means they must gnaw to file them down. Mice and rats gnaw more or less anything, from shredding cardboard for bedding to wood roof trusses, electric cables, cement, brick, you name it.
#6 Rats don’t sweat
Instead, they use blood vessels in their tails to regulate their temperature by either contracting or expanding them.
#7 They are not fussy eaters
Rats will eat just about anything, from the contents of a compost bin to organic matter such as dog poop and their own poop, purely for the nutritional value you understand. Mice are a little pickier, but rotting veg in a compost heap or crumbs on a worktop are delicious as far as they are concerned.
#8 Rats and mice laugh
They make a high-pitched chirping sound to let their siblings know they are happy. You won’t be laughing when you have to replace electric cabling they have just gnawed through…
#9 Rats live in a peaceful community
They prefer not to confront each other or fight. They are social creatures, great news when there are so many of them.
#10 Rats and mice in Plymouth may vary in colour
The shading of the brown rat and mouse can vary. No one is sure why this is the case but brown rats in one area can be a different colour to a rat found in another area or even in the same nest.
Rats and mice are pests that must be controlled, whether you spot a whole family or just one. Protect your health and property – call us today on 01752 929292
