Many Rat Types
Rats are the most dominant species of rodents on earth, belonging to the Rattus genus of the family Muridae. There are several species of rats in the world. Most rodents eat plants, but some eat animals as well. In general, there are 2 basic types of rats. They are black or roof rats & Norway or brown rats. Both are thought to have originated in Asia & are now widely distributed throughout the planet.
Ship Rats
Roof rats (known as Rattus Rattus) are also called black rats & ship rats. They are normally black, have a slender built, 16-21 cm long and weigh about 80-300 gram. Their nose & muzzle are pointed, and their tail is longer than the head and body. As the name suggest, roof rats are climbers. Their paws are built to climb & create nestles in upper parts of dwellings, rafters, attics & crossbeams of buildings.
Barn Rat
The brown rat, which is also known as the Norway rat, house rat, gray rat, barn rat, & wharf rat, is the larger of the two mentioned here, and one of the best-known species. Rattus norvegicus is their scientific name. They are mostly grayish-brown, with a lighter colored stomach. A fully-grown brown rat is 18 to 26 cm long and weighs between 400 & 600 gm. Their nose & muzzle are blunt, and their tail is shorter than its body. They prefer moist conditions and nest in deep burrows.
At around 3 - 4 months of age, these rats start to breed. They breed up to 13 times each year & produce up to 22 in each litter. Black rats & brown rats eat about the same things. Their diet mainly includes seeds, nuts, grains, veggies, fruits, cereals, meats and invertebrates. They consume about one-third of their weight in food everyday.
They damage structures, contaminate food & carry deadly diseases. Some of the diseases potentially deadly to man that spread through rats are salmonella food poisoning, toxoplasmosis, Weil's disease & plague.
You probably think that it is not a priority for you to administer pest control measures for your home right now. Even if it might not have crossed your mind right now, someday in the future you may put your house up for sale. No matter how appealing your home is from the outside, real estate brokers and buyers would avoid it if they notice signs of pest infestations. For instance, even you yourself would be unhappy if the house you are planning to purchase is infested with termites. Furthermore, lending institutions can be very strict in approving loan applications, particularly if you will use your house as collateral; you may find your application denied if the bank representatives found pest infestations in your house when they come over for visual evaluation. You could treat the amount you pay for a professional pest control company to estimate the cost and accomplish pest eradication in your home as an investment for the future resale value of your household.
Article Source: FxTradingStock.com
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Find out the most effective methods of eradicating termites and other pests from your homes or offices.
by: Mike Pollard
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Word Count: 492
Date: Sun, 11 Jul 2010
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