Fayette County, Lexington Rat Control Situation:
I live in a suburban area in a development and have never had a rat issue in 30 years until recently. A few months ago we noticed two things which had not previously occurred trash was been thrown around the back yard from trash cans as well as holes in the ground. (near the house) We have a large cat that goes outside as well as two basically indoor dogs. Finally about a week ago my wife saw a tail of a small animal that she could not identify. I borrowed a cage trap from a friend and the first two nights they were set the bait was taken but we did not catch anything finally on the third night we caught two rats in the one trap. Set two cages last night, bait was taken but no rats caught. I had filled in about 5 holes that were near my house with dirt yesterday and this morning one of the holes was open....I am getting all kinds of amateur advice(soak toilet tissue with gasoline place it in hole and cover it etc...) don't know what the hell to do. I do not believe the rats have gotten into the house (we have a crawl space). Have two daughters and mother in law with me.... Need any guidance you can provide.
Lexington Rat Control Tip of The Week
Norway Rat Biology
The Norway rat is typically nocturnal. It is a good swimmer; however, unlike the related black rat, it is a poor climber. Norway rats burrow well, and regularly uncover broad tunnel systems.
Rats are equipped for creating ultrasonic vocalizations, both as grown-ups and babies. They may likewise transmit short, high frequency, socially-prompted vocalization during interaction with different rats or animals. This call most takes after a trilling sound but is undetectable to human ears. Rats can discernibly be heard through calls sounding like squeaks when they are in trouble.
These rats are omnivores. This implies they can eat both plants and animals. As predators, rats are opportunistic.
The Norway rat can breed consistently if the conditions are reasonable, and a female can deliver up to twelve litters in a year. The gestation period is just 21 days, and litters can number up to fourteen, albeit smaller litters are common. In this way, the rat population can increase rapidly. Rats have a lifespan of around three years, yet regularly live less than one year.
Norway rats live in enormous hierarchical groups, either in tunnels or subsurface places, such as sewers and basements. When food is hard to come by, the rats lower in the social order are the first to die. If a large portion of a rat populace is eliminated from a zone, the rest will expand their reproductive rate, and rapidly reestablish the old populace level. This makes it imperative to have a plan to get rid of the entire rat population on your property if an infestation occurs.