Rats are a part of everyday life for most Canadians but thanks to rat removal techniques, they no longer have to be!
In addition to be masters of food scavenging, rats are experts at gaining entry into Canadian homes. These rodents enter homes in a variety of ways, some are capable of jumping one metre, accessing roofline entry points. Rats bodies’ have “expanding” rib cages, allowing them to squeeze into holes as small as the size of their heads. This makes exclusion work essential with any rat removal program.
In addition to potential spread of disease, rats can cause a large degree of property damage. Rats chew through nearly any material, up to and including drywall, insulation, siding and wiring. These practices can lead to potential fire hazards as well as water leakage when rats begin to gnaw on PVC piping. Our Toodaloo Technicians will complete your rat removal needs as well as sealing up the active points of entry to sure your home or business stays rodent free.
When entering into a rat removal program, it is important to know your enemy. Here are some identifiers to help you distinguish what species of rat you are dealing with:
Roof Rats:
The Roof Rat can be found throughout Canadian homes and structures and is usually black to light brown in colour with a slick coat of hair. A typical adult roof rat can be up to 12”–18”in length, including a 6”–10” tail. Roof Rat’s are adapted for climbing and moving along wires and ledges making it quite easy to gain access into attic spaces from trees or overhead wires.
The female Roof Rat lays 3-4 litters per year, with4-8 young in each. Juveniles reach sexual maturity in about 3 months and have a life span of 1-2 years on average.
In Canada,Roof Rats are scavengers and will feed on almost anything they can find, such as other rats, food debris, compost and household garbage along with berries and nuts. Sanitation plays a huge roll in rodent elimination as well as exclusion.
Roof Rats can usually be found in attics and ceiling voids making them an extremely troublesome pest as this is where electrical wires are placed. If you here scratching, gnawing or any type of activity, give Toodaloo Pest and Wildlife Control at 1-844-TOODALOO to set up an appointment.
Norway Rats:
In Canada, the Norway Rat has coarse hair is usually brown or dark grey in colour. The Norway Rat is a larger rodent and will usually weigh twice as much as the Roof Rat. They are usually 8” to 10” in length, with the tail being the same length as the body. The Norway Rat has very sensitive hearing and are also sensitive to ultrasound. Norway Rats are also referred to as sewer rats or street rats. Norway Rats have a shorter snout than the roof rat and have a more “huskier” look than its cousin.
The Norway Rat will usually make it’s nest by burrowing into the ground in garden beds, rockery, retaining walls, foundations etc. Within the nest, they will also have one or two escape holes for emergency purposes.
Norway rats are scavengers and will feed on almost anything they can find. They prefer grain and nuts but being opportunists, they have no problem diving into anything left behind.
If you think you may have any type of Rat activity, give Toodaloo Pest and Wildlife Control for all your rat removal needs. Call at 1-844-TOODALOO to set up an appointment for treatment and/or inspection.
