Onondaga County, Syracuse Rat Control Situation:
Hi. I have recently noticed poop in one area of my garage which is also right next to where I have piled up a bunch of stuff I planned to sale at a yard sale so it is very possible there is more that I am not seeing easily within that stuff. We live next to a lot of undeveloped wooded land where we know there are a good bit of deer and presumably many varieties of wildlife and some cats we see around our house have killed a few rats lately but I looked at your rat droppings and what I saw in my garage doesn't seem to fit into the rat poop pictures or descriptions I found on your site. I an sending in separate email to see if you can tell me what I am most likely dealing with. My house is in a rural area outside Syracuse NY.
David: I live in Northern New York State and recently purchased a home that has have roof rats, and I've been told when the rats are beaten back some, the mice will come. There is already evidence of this, as I've noticed half eaten mice carcasses at various points. I hired a pest control company to trap the rats moving forward, but their plan is not as systematic and comprehensive as yours, so I want to do the sealing up myself. Though the task is daunting because I live in the country and my house has a Spanish tile roof that many describe a porous, I have done this before and think I can at least slow the problem to a light crawl. That said, I'm interested in equipment recommendations. I notice you use full body jump suits and face masks. What brands do you use? And your vacuum, does it require a hepa filter. You mention multiple speeds, will I need various vacuums to do the job? Can you recommend people who do this in Sonoma County (Santa Rosa City), California? thanks, John
Syracuse Rat Control Tip of The Week
What Are The Mating Habits Of The Black Rat And Norway Rat?
Black Rat
The ship rats have a polygamous mating framework, where a single male mates with various females. As a rule, the prevailing male is a successful breeder. These rats mate from March to November. The development or conception period goes on for 21 - 29 days, yielding 3 - 5 litters of 1 - 16 young (with a normal or average of 7) every year. Children of this species are brought into the world altricial. Their eyes open just at 15 days old, while hairs show up before the end of the nursing period. The young ones are weaned, and become independent at 3 - 4 months of age.
Norway Rat
Norway rats generally build homes in below-ground burrows or at ground level. Homes might be fixed with shredded paper, fabric, or different stringy materials. Litters of 6 to 12 young ones are brought into the world 21 to 23 days after conception. Baby rats are stripped, and their eyes are shut; however, they develop quickly. They can eat solid food at 2 1/2 to 3 weeks. They become independent at around 3 weeks to about a month and arrive at reproductive maturity at 3 months old, sometimes as early as 8 weeks. Female Norway Rats may come into heat every 4 or 5 days, and they may even mate a day after a litter is conceived. The average female rat has 4 to 6 litters per year and may effectively wean at least 20 offspring every year.