“THINGS THAT GO BUMP IN THE NIGHT COULD BE RODENTS”

Rodent Facts / Rat Control / Rodent Control in Houston:

Commensal rodents are those rodents that live in and around mankind. They have been living off of humans for centuries. They can be differentiated from feral (wild) rodents in that commensal rodents have a naked or semi-naked tails, whereas feral rodents have furry tails. Commensal rodents are not indigenous to the North America; they were brought to this continent from Europe and Asia.

There are 2 commensal rats: the Rattus norvegicus, the Norway rat (aka the ground or sewer rat) and the Rattus rattus, the Roof rat (aka the climbing or ship rat).  There is one commensal mouse the Mus musculus, (aka the House mouse).

Rats and mice can be responsible for transmitting up to 55 different diseases; however, they rarely transmit rabies. There are over 12,000 rat bites that occur in the United States each year.

Mice may spend all of its life in one room of a structure: all it needs is food and shelter. Rats must gnaw to keep their teeth wore down. Their upper incisors can grow 4 ½” per year while their lower incisors can grow up to 5 ¾” per year.

Rodents are basically nocturnal (active at night) as opposed to squirrels which are diurnal (active during the daylight). If commensal rodents are seen running around in the daylight hours, that usually means there is a large infestation.

Rodents cannot regurgitate, that means they cannot vomit. That why baits work so well; however, they know they cannot vomit, so they are careful about what they eat. That’s why it is so important to keep baits fresh and uncontaminated with chemicals.

Norway rats usually live in burrows in the ground, whereas Roof rats are usually found in attics. Norway rats are by in large, omnivorous and particularly love grains and meats; whereas Roof rats are basically vegetarians preferring fruits and vegetables. Mice have a “sweet tooth”.

The gestation period (the term of pregnancy) for mice is usually 19 days. Mice have an average of 4 to 8 mice per litter and breeds about every 50 days. The gestation periods for rats are 22 to 25 days and they can have 4 to 7 per litter.

Controlling Rodents:  The control of rodents involves 3 steps:

1) Eradication – The use of baits, traps, glue boards, tracking powders and other control procedures.

2) Exclusion – Once a structure has been infested with rodents it will continue to be infested unless they are prevented from getting into the structure. Rodents leave odors that other rodents can smell and become attractive to new infestations.

3) Sanitation – Once the structure has been cleared of rodents and sealed it is necessary to control food sources and unsanitary conditions as they are again attractive to new infestations.

For Gulf Coast Pest Control call Gulf Coast Exterminators today at 281-449-7404

Rat Control and Rodent Control in Houston, Texas since 1991