Harris County, Houston Rat Control Situation:
Dear Pest Control Agency, My name is Juan and I am working on my doctoral dissertation in Biology at Rice University, Houston, Texas. I have an undergraduate researcher who helps me with my research, and we both work in the laboratory of Prof. Michael. We have studied rats and mice in Europe, and we use the information to study a number of questions, including how rodent populations are connected between continents or within countries. One part of our work deals with the question of whether rats and mice in the US have developed resistance to rodent poisons, about which little is known. Our hope is that during pest control you will be able to obtain the tail tips (about 1 inch) of rats and mice that can be found at rodent infested sites. These could be collected from dead animals, and of course, we would send you everything you would need (scissors, tubes, gloves, prepaid shipping, etc.). If you decide to help us in our research, we would like to offer you a Domino's giftcard as a thank you for your efforts! We have received a large amount of support from a few pest control agencies so far. It would be wonderful if you would also consider helping us! Attached is a simple spreadsheet where a few details on the sampling are described. We do not need any specific information regarding locations where sampling was done, and no names of owners or of employees, etc. are needed. However, if you would like we would be more than happy to promote your company name in our research paper! Please feel free to contact us by email or phone if you have any other questions or concerns. Thank you so much for your consideration, and I hope to hear from you soon! Sincerely, Juan
Houston Rat Control Tip of The Week
Do Rats Bite Human Necks?
Rodents are omnivorous animals. Their diet is mainly based on seeds, insects, and small animals. In order to hunt, they usually bite their victims' neck to neutralize them and suffocate them until they finally die. Seeing this behavior, some people think that rats will also bite human necks, but this is extremely uncommon.
There are cases where a rat has bit a child's face, neck, and hands. This type of aggressive behavior is often seen when rodents feel that the child's movement could be a threat. On the other hand, sometimes this happens when children are dirty and have food remains on them, thus confusing the rodents.
Complications Of A Rodent Bite
A rat bite can hardly suffocate a human being, but it can have other serious complications produced by the bacteria they carry. Symptoms appear within 3 weeks after the bite when the infected wound heals.
An infectious disease can begin with increased body temperature and chills. Within 3 to 4 days after the onset of the fever, there could be rash, systemic damage to different organs such as heart or brain, and visible swelling of the lymph nodes.
Bites are not the only way a rodent can transmit diseases. Direct contact through scratches produced by infected rats is usually quite harmful as well. However, it is more common to become infected by ingesting food or water contaminated with an infected rats' feces or urine.
Pest control is necessary to look after one's own health and that of your entire family, including household pets. There are cases of domestic animals such as dogs and cats that, when biting rats, can also become contaminated with these diseases which can be deadly.
