Fun Facts About the Types of Rats in NJ

Even though some people keep them as pets, rats are not very welcome in the majority of New Jersey homes. Most individuals cringe at the sight of one of these long-tailed, furry creatures. When looking at the various types of rats in New Jersey, most are small to medium size rodents that can range from 7-20 inches, depending on the species.

The destruction these vermin do inside your home is costly, especially since they can gnaw and chew through drywall, concrete, and even aluminum. It’s hard to deny a rat infestation when they leave behind feces and a trail of chewed papers and other household goods. Unlike a mouse, a rat’s excrement is about the size of a grain of rice. Horrifyingly enough, like mice they continuously urinate as they move about leaving germs and potential disease on your counters and other household surfaces.

Some zoologists say there are more than 700 types of rats, but in New Jersey, you will mostly come across the Norway rat and the roof rat. Their most common colors are brown, gray, and black.

Fascinating Facts About These Types of Rats

Rats are very social creatures, so you won’t find them going solo. If you see one rat in your home, then you can be sure that there are many more that you don’t see. In nests, they love to curl up together to sleep. They can also become quite depressed and lonely if they aren’t with a group. Here are some other fun facts about rats that you may not know.

While rats and mice both love to chew, the rat has teeth that are 4-5 inches long which gives them excellent gnawing power. They love to crawl all about, and they can even fall 50 feet to the ground and not be phased by the plunge. Heights don’t bother these vermin as they use their tail to help them balance in dangerous situations.

Most types of rats can live up to three days in water and keep going, so your basement that’s prone to flooding is no problem for them to maneuver. You can flush them down the toilet, and they will swim their way to the nearest sewer or back up your pipes. Scarily, some rats invade the home by coming through your septic lines and up through your commode, though this is not the most common method of entry. To prevent these common rats in New Jersey, it’s important to identify these entry points.

Did you know that rats will eat their own feces? It’s a disgusting thought, but rat poop has many nutrients that they find beneficial so they enjoy munching on it. Did you also know that one rat can leave up to 40 droppings per night? Now, imagine what 4-5 can leave behind in your home? Rats in New Jersey can possibly be prevented by sealing up entry points based on the location of the droppings.

Other Surprising Truths About Rats

1

Most types of rats don’t like cheese, and it’s actually deadly for them. They do love a good chocolate bar, though! These vermin are quite curious and won’t mind taking their time digging through your cabinets to find the perfect snack.

2

They love peanut butter, grains, and seeds, as well as fruits and vegetables. If you happen to leave Fido’s dog dish full, they won’t mind helping themselves. As a matter of fact, one of the ways many pet owners find out they have rats is because the dog dish keeps being emptied at night.

3

Rats love food, but they will also indulge in non-edible items. Before they gobble, they give a test-nibble on an item to see if it’s palatable. They will chew through leather, clothing, paper, and plastic goods.

4

Rats are neophobic, so they are afraid of anything new in their territory. Since they have this fear, rat traps are often avoided by them, even if they are covered in a nice hunk of peanut butter. Oftentimes it requires a professional to eliminate rats in New Jersey because they are so hard to trap

5

Rats multiply quickly. A female rat can birth 1,000 babies in one year. Sexual maturity is around three to four months, and then she can begin mating. Her receptivity period is the specific time when she can get pregnant, which happens about 15 times a year. Once she’s pregnant, the gestation period is around 19 to 22 days. It’s easy to see why a couple of female rats can spell big trouble for homeowners.

6

Though most humans cringe at the sight of rat tails, this appendage serves many purposes. The tail is thermoregulatory, which means it helps them regulate their body temperature. They also use the tail to balance out their small body.

Has a Family of Rats Moved In?

Noticing feces is a sure sign of some type of rat problem, but you might also hear scratching noises from the ceilings or even under the floorboards. Since rats are nocturnal, you will mostly hear them working at night. Their gnawing makes a distinct sound as their grinding teeth are hard to ignore.

The only way a rat will leave their nest during the daytime is if it’s become too crowded. By the time you come face-to-face with a critter, you already have a severe issue. Spotting little footprints is also common and can be seen by shining a flashlight in certain areas.

Since rats don’t see well, they try to stay along walls and use the surface as a guide. They leave an oily residue behind on the walls they commonly use. Our team knows this sign and can quickly identify it.

Though they may come inside, rats prefer the great outdoors. They will have paths worn along their paths from the inside to the outside. Keep a vigilant eye out for this sign.

Since these destructive little critters carry disease and can contaminate your foods, it’s essential that you get our professional help once you identify the signs of an infestation. You and your family are in danger of contracting diseases from their urine and feces left behind.

You might not know this, but the bubonic plague all started from rats infested with disease-ridden fleas crawling around in close proximity to humans.

Diseases Carried by Various Types of Rats

Did you know that rats carry more than 25 different types of diseases? The most feared one is rabies, but it’s highly unlikely that a human can contract rabies from a rat. Those who have breathing issues may have asthmatic symptoms when there is a rat nearby. The most transferred diseases from rat to humans are:

The most transferred diseases from rat to humans are:

Rats can climb in bed with you and even claw at your chest. Talk about nightmares. No types of rats are trying to attack you; rather, they are lost and have poor vision. They just need to be redirected back to the outdoors. Most people feel that traps and poisons are enough to destroy rodent infestations, but sadly they only put a small dent in the problem.

Another common method of DIY pest control is to use baits that look like food pellets. These pellets swell inside their stomach and causes it to burst. While they work great, the rats often die inside your walls or other part of the home.

The stench they leave behind will linger for days and the aroma is so putrid that this area may be uninhabitable until the scent clears. While heading to the hardware store to battle these pests may seem like the easy and less expensive route to go, these rodents breed so fast that without our professional help, it’s exceptionally hard to eradicate them.

Taking Control of Your Home

Since any rat can be incredibly dangerous to have in your home, it’s best if you leave them to us. A few glue or snap traps aren’t going to do much in the grand scheme of things.

Because rats come from the outside in, it’s essential to identify their points of entry. A full-sized adult rat can squeeze their body through something the size of a quarter! They love to come in around drain lines and other areas where mold and mildew rot away at the flooring and drywall and they can almost flatten their bodies to maneuver inside.

Open the cabinets under your sinks and look for any small holes that can allow them to gain entry, and check out your dryer vents—they are often not equipped with a metal screen to keep pests out.

Call the Kapture Professionals

To remove nests, you must also clean the environment. If you have lumber piles, leaves, or other rubbish in your yard, it makes the perfect nesting grounds. Once you remove these attractions, our team can come in to battle the little beasts—no matter what types of rats you’re facing.

As professionals, we will use rodenticides and tools that are not available to the general public. Using our integrated pest management approach, we will find the best course of action for your specific situation. Remember, if you’ve already seen 1-2 rats, then you have a much bigger issue that you can’t see. It’s time to call for help.