Norway Rats in Jamaica

Norway Rat  (Rattus norvegicus)

Description:

The Norway rat (brown rat, common rat, street rat, sewer rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Norwegian rat, or wharf rat) is brown or black in appearance, weighs up to 500 grams: and can weigh more, is approximately 40cm in length and has scales present on its ears and tails. The tail is shorter than the head and body of the rodent.

Environment and Behaviour:

Norway rats tend to dwell in underground burrows from which they enter buildings in search of food. They are nocturnal and tend to remain in hiding during the day.

Norway rats consume a variety of food sources, preferably meats, fruits, grains and nuts. Norway rats are also scavengers; they will consume dead animals and they are able to catch small fish and rodents. They require water to drink, and they make their colony as close to a water source as possible.

Reproduction:

The brown rat can breed throughout the year if conditions are suitable, with a female producing up to five litters a year. They reach sexual maturity in about five weeks. Females are capable of becoming pregnant immediately after giving birth, and they have the ability to nurse one litter while pregnant with another litter.

Signs of infestation

• Droppings:Droppings are the most commonly encountered evidence of rodent activity. Even a small rat infestation can produce literally thousands of droppings in a short period of time.
  Norway rats typically produce 40 to 50 droppings per day. These faecal pellets are usually dark-coloured, 3/4 inch in length, and blunt at both ends.
• Gnaw Marks:Evidence of recent gnawing is a good way of determining the presence of Norway rats.
  Rats tend to gnaw on wooden structures such as corners, floor joists, and wall studs. When Norway Rats gnaw holes into cartons and boxes, the holes usually measures approximately 2 inches in diameter and often contain rough, torn edges.
• Nests:Norway rats' burrows are typically in the ground outside and usually measure about 3 inches in diameter. It is common to find burrows along foundations and underneath debris, low-lying shrubbery, woodpiles, and storage sheds.
• Runways and Rub marks:Runways are usually evident in rodent infestations because rodents repeatedly use the same pathways between their nests and food sources.
  These grease marks are created from oil and dirt on the rodent's skin and often appear along wall areas next to runways.

Control and Management of Rodents in Jamaica

G.O. ® Pest Control Service will identify the rodent and put in place the correct plan to address the problem, whether it is exclusion or rodent-proofing, habitat modification or sanitation or the application of rodenticides, our technicians will rectify the problem.