Norway Rats in Huntsville: What Every Resident Should Know
November 15, 2021
If you start to find a cache of seeds in the corners of closed drawers or small droppings littered across your floor or countertop, chances are you have a rodent problem. Whether it's mice or rats, you will want to find a solution. Today, we're going to discuss Norway rats and why they're attracted to your Huntsville home.
Norway rats are brown with a reddish hue. Their body is 7 to 9 inches long; their tails are long, typically matching the size of their combined head and body.
What Attracts Norway Rats To My Home?
Norway rats see your home as a source of food and water. Of course, they do not intend to monopolize the food in your home or cause structural damage. Nonetheless, they are guilty of both. Like most rodents, these rats are attracted to squalid conditions. Messy homes allow them to easily conceal themselves, infesting your home all while remaining undetected. They are attracted to garbage, and garbage that is not properly stored offers an enticing food source.
While the food attracts them to your home initially, they tend to cause other issues. Not only do Norway rats cause structural damage, but they also exploit it. Older buildings or homes with more entry points expedite invasion. Norway rats only need an entry point half an inch in diameter.
Furthermore, Norway rats tend to inhabit homes with neglected lawns or shrubbery. A neglected lawn or garden enables Norway rats to remain hidden. Large shrubbery can supply rodents with a protective cover, giving them a gateway to eventually invade your home. But Norway rats can invade the homes of even the most fastidious homeowners.
A beautiful lawn in Huntsville won’t necessarily save you from a Norway rat infestation. These rats can enter through small crevices, cracks, or crawlspaces. They can enter under doors and unknowingly enter your home in a dust-ridden box. Therefore, you should be aware of any possible entry points and carefully inspect unused boxes. Norway rats exploit the ignorant. Thus, you should know what renders you vulnerable to a Norway rat infestation.
Signs Of A Norway Rat Infestation
Norway rats like to remain hidden. Nevertheless, they leave the following signs of their presence:
- You may find capsule-shaped rat droppings in discreet areas of your home— in corners, under furniture, or behind your fridge.
- Rat urine may accompany these droppings.
- You may see dead rats in your pool or in your dog’s mouth.
- You could see rats running along electrical lines or fences.
- Norway rats may leave smudge marks along walls from the dirt and oil they come into contact with.
- They could also create burrows in your garden. You may notice that your fruits and vegetables have been gnawed apart.
- A congregation of rodents near your garbage may constitute signs that your home has been invaded.
- Lastly, you may see rat nests made of miscellaneous materials like cotton, twigs, and insulation.
Prevention Of A Norway Rat Infestation
With the proper knowledge, a Norway rat infestation is avoidable. You can eschew an infestation by first knowing your susceptibility to one. However, knowledge is separate from execution. Here are some ways you actively prevent a Norway rat infestation:
- You should seal any possible entry points with steel wool.
- Regularly mow your lawn to prevent rodents from hiding in your grass. Similarly, you should regularly landscape.
- Clean your kitchen. Rodents are attracted to your home as a potential source of food. Don’t leave any bread crumbs on the table.
- Rodents prefer bacon, chocolate, and peanut butter, but they’ll really eat anything.
- Along the same vein, you should clean your entire house. Rodents gravitate toward messy homes because messy homes provide them with more areas to hide and potentially create nests.
- Please take out your garbage regularly to deter any rodents, including Norway rats, from infesting it.
If You Live In Huntsville, Call Custom Pest Control
Norway rats reproduce swiftly, generating three to six litters per year. Therefore, it is imperative to eliminate a Norway rat infestation before it becomes insurmountable. We encourage you to call us, the experts at Custom Pest Control. We can remove your rat infestation and preempt all the burdensome expenses that come with it. Give us a call today to learn more about our rodent control options.