Stark County, Canton Rat Control Situation:
HI there, Came across your website and found it very helpful and hoping you will entertain my question and perhaps direct me to someone in my area. My name is Shanna and I live about an hour north of central Ohio in the town of Canton OH. This summer we did some work on the outside of the house - replaced the sill plate and some of the clapboard. The house, unfortunately was open for quite some time and well, now I'm hearing sounds in the walls - movement, chewing, etc. I'm not sure what it is but here is what I do know: Sounds come at night I've identified where most of the sounds are coming from - unfortunately near my bedroom and they wake me around 2:30 and then again at 4:30 AM! My cat caught and left a juvenile rat on my porch yesterday over night I've not seen any rat holes around the property - I know what they look like from my zookeeper days. I'm assuming it's rats because of the cat but I'm not sure. I set bait traps this eve near the area where I think they are getting in (there are some remaining holes from the construction) and I stuffed insulation in those areas to check in the AM to see if it's been disturbed and if so, where. We will close the holes up ASAP!! Here's my problem and question - we don't have an attack as we've raised all the ceilings on the second floor so should we close all the holes and then look into the one way door or...? Also, I could use some help if you know of anyone in this area.
Canton Rat Control Tip of The Week
What Is The Largest Size A Rat Can Get To Be?
With an average lifespan of about 2 - 3 years, some species of rats can grow as large as 4 pounds. But on average, almost all rats are bigger than mice. Also, the size of a rat fairly depends on the specie and the sex of the rat. Male rats usually are larger than females. They have a longer body frame with tails as long as their body and can grow as big as 2 lbs.
Domesticated rats usually do better when it comes to size mainly because they are provided with all they need to grow properly and healthily. For pet rats, an adult rat can grow to a length of 9 to 11 inches with a tail length of 7 to 9 inches. If properly managed, some large species of rats can even grow as long as 20 inches. It all depends on how well the rats are being managed and taken care of.
One of the most fascinating thing about rats is that having a large body size doesn't mean they won't be able to pass through small openings and enter into your home. Rats can compress their body in order to be able to pass through small openings. Provided the opening is wide enough to allow the easy passage of its head, it will pass through. Therefore, you shouldn't consider the fact that the rats in your neighborhood are too big to gain access to your home through small openings. Instead, you need to seal all small openings up as soon as possible to avoid a rat infestation.
When it comes to rats with large sizes, the Bosavi woolly rat is one of a kind. This specie of rat can weigh up to 3.5 lbs. and grow as long as 32 inches. Although, this particular specie of rat can only be found in volcanic caves.