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 RODENTS
Types: House Mice, Norway Rat,
Roof Rat
MICE
Name applied to numerous species
of small rodents , often having soft gray or brown fur, long hairless tails,
and large ears. The chief distinction between these animals and the variety
of rodents called rats is in size: mice are usually smaller. Many small
rodents are adapted for leaping or hopping and are named accordingly, e.g.,
the North American kangaroo rat and Asian jumping mouse.
RATS
Name applied to various stout-bodied
rodents , usually having a pointed muzzle, long slender tail, and dexterous
forepaws. It refers particularly to the two species of house rat, Rattus
norvegicus, the brown, or Norway,
rat and R. rattus, the black, roof, or Alexandrine, rat. Both species
originated in Asia, but have spread
throughout the world, mostly on board ships. The black rat was common in Europe in the Middle Ages and was responsible for the
spreading of plague. It has since been largely displaced in cooler regions by
the brown rat, which reached Europe early in
the 18th cent. and North America by 1775.
The brown rat is the larger of the two, growing up to 10 in. (25 cm) long
excluding the naked, scaley tail and sometimes weighing more than a pound (.5
kg). It is commonly brown with whitish underparts and pink ears, feet, and
tail. It is a poor climber, but an excellent burrower and swimmer; it is
found in the damp basements and sewers of most temperate zone cities. The laboratory
white rat is an albino strain of the brown rat. The black rat is commonly
dark gray. It reaches a maximum length of 8 in. (20 cm) and has a longer tail
and larger ears than the brown rat. A good climber, the black rat inhabits
attics and upper floors in warm areas; it is the common rat of the
Mediterranean region, the SE United States, and Central and South
America. Rats are omnivorous, aggressive, intelligent,
adaptable, and extremely fecund. Females produce as many as 8 litters each
year with as many as 20 young per litter. The gestation period is three
weeks, and the young reach sexual maturity in about two months. Rats may live
as long as four years. They are social animals but sometimes fight among
themselves. They live mostly in and around human settlements, where they have
few natural enemies and an abundant source of food. They invade food supplies
and cause widespread destruction; they also spread human diseases such as
typhus and tularemia. Despite human efforts to exterminate rats, the house
rat population is probably equal to the human population. Besides the house
rats, the genus Rattus contains several hundred wild-living species. In
addition, many other members of several different rodent families are called
rats, e.g., the bandicoot rat , the wood rat, or pack rat , the rice rat, the
muskrat , and the kangaroo rat. House rats are classified in the phylum
Chordata , subphylum Vertebrata, class Mammalia, order Rodentia, family
Muridae.
RODENT FACTS
Rodents
cause more then $1 billion dollars in damage annually in the U.S. alone.
Rats can jump 2 feet vertically.
Rats can jump 4 feet horizontally.
Rats can fall 50 feet without injury.
Norway Rats can swim up to 1/2 mile in open water, dive through plumbing
traps and travel in sewer lines.
Rats are transmitters of Mume Typhus fever, rat bite fever leptospiressis,
trichinosis, salmonellas, melioidosi, brucellosis, tuberculosis,
pastuerellosis, reckettsial and viral diseases. Norway Rats can also carry the
rabies virus.
EXCLUSION REPAIR
Quality 1st Pest
Solution’s philosophy regarding rodent control is to eliminate all
reasonable entry and exit points within a structure. Prior to the initial
inspection, we communicate with our clients regarding their needs and
concerns. We proceed to determine the type of pest(s) present and the level
of infestation. A thorough inspection is performed to locate entry points.
Upon completion, Quality 1st Pest Solutions
will present a customized plan addressing the repair and trapping needs to
exclude your home. **All Exclusion Repair Work is Guaranteed for 1 Year**
Common Entry Points
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Crawl Space: vents; pipe penetrations; doors;
miscellaneous holes found in brick, block, stone, and porches
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Attic/Roof: gaps in roofline, valleys, and junctions;
sewer and exhaust vents; gables; ridge vents; siding; overhanging tree
branches, bushes, and vines
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Exterior Walls and Basement: downspouts; gutters; pipe
penetrations; exhaust vents; siding; brick and block voids
Materials Used
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Formed galvanized sheet metal
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Rolled aluminum
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Siding (various)
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Concrete
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Copper Mesh
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¼” Wire Mesh
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Black IPF Foam
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Caulking
253-226-2206
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