There are several monikers that the brown rat goes by including

• Street rat
• Hanover rat
• Common rat
• Sewer rat
• Norway rat
• Norwegian rat
• Wharf rat
• Parisian rat

However its scientific name is Rattus Norvegicus. Although it can be found in various parts of the world the brown rat is native to Asia. In the 1700 it was introduced to Europe and later found its way to the United States on the ships that made their way into the Americas. It has managed to succeed at surviving in different environments because it has the ability to adapt to any new surroundings. The brown rat will live in any environment that provides water, food, shelter. They will live inside human structures or they can burrow into a wet river banks or under a shed.

Appearance

The brown rat looks like a mouse only with a bigger body and a scaly tail. The muzzle is blunt and the ears are small and pointed. It typically weighs over half a kilo with the weight going up depending on the availability of food. By this we mean does it have available food sources and shelter that keeps it away from the predators. Although it is called the brown rat it can be brown or black in color. Of course, there is the true black rat that is much larger than the brown rat with a much shorter tail.

The brown rat like all other rats has a very well developed sense of smell and taste. It is also has a keen sense of touch. Did you know that rats utilize ultrasound frequency to communicate giving them a fantastic sense of hearing.  They are particularly sensitive to any type of noise that will get the scurrying out of the way and to safety.

Brown rat infestation

It is important to curb the infestation of brown rats because they are not only a nuisance but they are also disease carriers. They have been known to carry diseases like Listeria, Hantavirus, Bubonic plague, Salmonella and Toxoplasma.

Since they are gnawers the structural damage done by brown rats can cause fires, flooding by puncturing plumbing pipes and gas pipes leaking resulting even in death. In fact, according to the insurance sectors rats are responsible for 25% of the electrical fires in buildings.

How to prevent Brown rats?

Most people wonder how to prevent a brown rat infestation. Well there are a few things you can do.

• Begin by eliminating any places where the rat can hide. This means seal off the gaps and keep the area under the shed clean and clean. Rats can squeeze through any place that has a gap of 15mm.
• Cut down the areas around the yard and fence to keep the rats away from the house and prevent them from gaining entry.
• Cover any waste from the house and close the dustbin outside the house. Also find a way to cover the compost pit.
• Use poisons and traps to kill off the rats if you decide to do this yourself. Alternatively, call a pest control technician.

Businesses and homes are not all safe from the risks and damages associated with a rodent infestation: rats in house and in the yard, and such.

The need for good rodent control and elimination is quite a common issue in Arizona, where homeowners and business proprietors are at great risk for infestation.

The presence of rodents on one’s roof goes well beyond the typical rat control issue. The disease risk notwithstanding, the presence of roof rats can wreak havoc on residential and commercial property. It is important to know steps on how to keep roof rat infestations under control.

Rats are a major carrier of hazardous diseases and a number of bacterial infections, among them are:

• Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome
• the plague
• Murine Typhus
• Leptospirosis
• Eosinophilic Meningitis, and
• Rat Bite Fever.

This coterie of diseases are all highly dangerous and affect anyone regardless of age or state of health, which is why controlling rat infestation must be one of a homeowner’s or business owner’s top priorities.

Baits, when you use traditional snap traps, you normally have to lure rodents by putting peanut butter or the classic cheese wedge on it.

However, you can also buy special baits that are meant to be used alone. These baits are poisonous, so it would be prudent to keep it away from pets and children (obviously).

These rat control baits are designed so that rodents who ingest the bait would seek out light and die outside of your house or apartment, and not rot and leave a funky gross smell in some dark unreachable nook in your house.

Baiting by itself is an effective rat control method to kill the little vermin without having to an undertaker’s job of disposing of the remains.

Baits in pellet form can be bought which work on both rats and mice and can be left in a tray.

Some baits even come in nifty pouches that rats can chew through which you can just leave in corners where rats frequent.

If you have rodent control problems, it is easy to contract diseases carried by the pests since it is easy to spread the bacteria carried by rats by their droppings or by them coming into contact with food. Rat bites aren’t the only way to spread disease.

Aside from droppings, urine is also another highly dangerous thing to come into contact with. If the pest infestation is not put under control, you will be at great risk for contracting diseases from the presence of roof rats.

The ingestion of droppings, the contact of rat urine with foodstuffs or water, on the skin even, and the inhalation of the fume from rat excrement is sufficient to infect a person.

The removal of rat droppings as well as any attempt at a thorough and quick termination of a rodent infestation can be dangerous and should be handled by a trained and qualified Arizona Pest Control specialist.

The process of cleaning, decontamination, and termination is fast, reliable, and will prove beneficial for any business establishment or household.

For anyone who has these in the homes, they should contact exterminating companies or mouse and mice control companies to help them how to get rid of a mouse once and for all.

There are many creatures who love to live next to humans because of all the waste that we produce. Even the act of our daily living produces debris which we are often not aware of and it is this that can draw in all manner of creatures to live off us.

Rodents are particularly dangerous animals for us to live with since their urine and other bodily waste carry all manner of diseases that are deadly to man.

Of course, it is impossible to rid the world of these creatures. No matter how much we try, they will always be there since there are more of them than us. However, we can do something to hold back the numbers if we take some time to do it.

In the home, leaving food and water out overnight will bring a host of pests in. Easy food and water are what most pests are looking for.

Since we cannot clean up every single crumb, it is obvious that some animals will come and feed. Leaving poisoned bait down where only the pests can get at it then would seem to be the answer.

The problem with anything that is poisonous to the pest is also poisonous to us human beings too. If the kids or pets can get to the bait, they will surely get very sick indeed so it is important that this is only left where the pest can get at it.

Also, any foodstuffs or dried food that is left in the garage, for example, should be covered or put in plastic bins since the rodents will urinate just about anywhere.

There was a case of a woman who got terribly sick after purchasing a can of soda at a store and drinking from it without washing it first.

Of course, no one would think that this would be a problem, but for her, it almost killed her. It was found that a rodent had urinated on the top and it had a particularly virulent disease at the time.

These days, these great companies have taken to spraying the whole house at once with all kinds of chemicals to finish off anything that is inside.

Tented covers are put over the whole place and a smoke ‘bomb’ is set off inside. Other chemicals used can include those for termites or fleas, ticks and any other creature that the household can do without.

The downside of this though is that the house cannot be lived in for a couple of days. However, this blanket approach is excellent for those with a problem that is difficult to cure.

Finally, getting in rodent removal experts is probably the answer to all of these problems. Online there are many companies which offer all kinds of services which should suit the householder down to the ground.

Generally, when people hear the word rodent, the image of a mouse or maybe even a rat immediately jumps to mind and finding out more about how to get rid of rodents.

The truth is, the rodent family includes a large number of mammals, some of whom have much less negative connotations associated with them, though that does not make them any less of a nuisance.

The main, identifying characteristic of all rodents is that they have a pair of continuously growing incisors in both their lower and upper jaws. These teeth must constantly be “manicured” short by gnawing and chewing on things.

Rats and mice carry a slew of diseases and are just not pleasant to have around. If these little furry visitors have moved into your home or business, it’s time to take some firm steps toward rodent control.

Some diseases brought about by rodents directly and indirectly include:

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome:

This is caused by white-footed mice, cotton and rice rats, or deer mouse. H.P.S. appears in the form of a virus and occurs in North and South America. It can spread by bites, direct contact with the animals or their excrement and breathing dust which has been contaminated by their urine or excrement.

Leptospirosis:

This is caused by bacteria and occurs globally. It can be spread via food or water that has been contaminated with rodent urine.

Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis:

This is a virus caused by a house-mouse. It occurs globally and is caused by bite wounds, direct contact or breathing in contaminated dust.

The Plague:

This occurs in the United States, South America, Africa, and Asia. Wild rodents, wood rats, prairie dogs, and fox squirrels can be carriers. It spreads by either direct contact with an infected animal or even their fleas. This is a bacterial disease.

The three steps in rodent control are seal up, trap up and clean up.

To seal up, a homeowner must make certain that there are no ways for rats and mice to get into their property.

These animals can squeeze through even the tiniest of openings, so everything must be tightly sealed. Weatherproofing doors and windows, as well as sealing cracks, will eliminate entryways for the tiny creatures.

To trap, there are a variety of methods, including classic mousetraps that are baited with peanut butter or cheese that snap shut, or bait which will poison them or a sticky paper which will they will attach to upon crossing.

There are even humane live catch and release methods that work well. Rats tend to be more cautious and won’t always fall for the traps right away. Be patient. Mice are not quite as bright and will be caught more easily.

To clean up, all droppings and nests must be completely eradicated. All areas must be kept free of any type of food source, including dried beans and pasta. All foods must be kept in tightly sealed containers or inside the refrigerator.

Get the rodents under control; protect your home and protect your family from these carriers of dangerous health risks.

No one likes to see their beautiful lawn or landscaping ruined by annoying rodents: the moles and voles burrowing tunnels underneath it. Knowing what type of pest you have can help the exterminators know what removal method will be best.

Moles, for example, are territorial and usually only one or two will be present. Voles live in colonies and can do lots more damage much faster.

Moles

Moles are almost completely subterranean animals, so seeing one is rare. Usually, they are between six and seven inches long, with long pointed noses and webbed feet. If you see one, you might be able to recognize him by his lack of external ears.

The primary damage from moles comes from their tunneling. An industrious mole can tunnel up to 100 feet in a day, searching for earthworms, grubs, and other insects to make into his dinner.

Those tunnels can cause portions of your lawn to collapse and give you a perfect place for twisting or breaking an ankle.

Moles will occasionally break through to the surface of your lawn, leaving behind a mound of dirt with a hole in the center that looks like a mini volcano.

Voles 

In many ways, voles are a much bigger danger to your landscaping, though both moles and voles are pests. Unlike moles which eat insects, voles eat vegetation, roots, bark and whatever else you might have planted in your yard that looks tasty.

Voles are smaller than moles, usually only about five inches long. You can also see their ears and eyes. But more importantly, they live in colonies.

Worse yet, they have a reproduction cycle of less than one month — about 21 days from knocked up to having babies — and they can have several litters of babies in a year. One pair of voles might create 30 in a year’s time.

In their incessant eating, they will strip the bark off trees, eat the deep roots of your plants and basically destroy your landscaping.

Extermination

Call a professional, especially if you think you might be dealing with voles. Humane traps for trap and release are available, but do you really want to inflict these little buggers on someone else?

Less humane traps kill the animals in a manner similar to a mousetrap, usually places in the tunnels. Poison can be used, but it might present a problem for pets or even other wildlife.

After all, use an anticoagulant poison on a vole and the bird that eats the vole gets poisoned too.

Poisons can also be problematic as some of them may wash away with rain or when you water the lawn, contaminating the local groundwater.

Instead, call professional exterminators who can evaluate the problem and come up with a solution that doesn’t endanger your family or your pets and doesn’t leave you hauling off dead voles.

Best way to get rid of mice

Mice are taboo in some cultures like most East and southern African tribes but in south East Asia they are considered a delicacy. So when it comes to mice they are generally considered creatures to be gotten rid of either as food or as pests. In the United States, like most countries, they are considered a pest and dangerous one at that because they carry disease.

Mice are sneaky creatures that are adept at hiding and using the cover of darkness and shadows to keep away from human radar. That is why it can be quite challenging to find them even when you can see their presence in your home.  But here are the best ways to get rid of mice from your space.

Seal entry points

This is both a preventive and control measure. Sealing off the entry points makes it hard for the creatures to infiltrate your space in the first place. Rodent proofing your house eliminates the chances of encountering this problem so seal off cracks in the foundation as well as in the walls. A mouse can squeeze in through extremely tight spaces as small as the width of a pencil. Use caulk and not rubber, plastic or wood since mice can gnaw right through this materials. Also, use weather stripping for the door and windows.

Invest in mouse traps

A mouse infestation needs a more aggressive approach hence the use of mouse traps. If you prefer to use humane mouse traps you can invest in traps that hold the mouse inside the confinement without causing it pain. The alternative is using a trap that uses glue and holds the mouse in place until it dies. Use baits laced with poison but be careful not to use toxic material that can contaminate the rest of the house. You can also use multiple capture traps or glue traps. Lay many different types of traps so that if the mouse evades one they can definitely be nabbed by the next one.

Use bait stations

These are sealed an packed mice baits that are contained in plastic or paper wrapping. The material can be breached by the gnawing of the mouse so when the mouse gnaws through the wrapping and eats the bait they die. Remember that the bait is usually laced and poisonous so take precautions when handling. Better yet, let the professionals handle this particular aspect of eliminating mice.

Cleanliness

While cleaning is not going to get rid of mice if they are already in, it is certainly a measure to prevent them from entering your space in the first place. Secure your garbage and wipe your floors and counters clean. Store food in jars and refrigerate leftovers.

Although it is impossible to guarantee that pests will not get into your home, there are several ways on how to get rid of brown rats.

Following these simple tips will mean that an infestation in your home is unlikely, and you can rest easy knowing that you have tried your best to keep your home pest-free.

When you think of pests, many people think of rats and mice straight away – hiding in cupboards and getting under our feet.

The brown rat, or common rat, is often found both in the town and country but mainly comes out at night. They like a dark, damp environment which is why they are often associated with sewers.

The reason that they are so drawn to our houses is because of their unfussy diet. They are perfectly happy to eat anything put in a bin or left lying around.

Unfortunately, rats do carry diseases such as Leptospirosis otherwise known as Weils Disease which can cause a very high fever, nausea, chills, muscle aches, and vomiting.

Humans can also become ill with food poising if having eaten food exposed to rats.

When rats do enter your home, they may gnaw any electrical wires, pipes or tubes in your house which can cause damage, let alone be dangerous to you or your pets.

To deter rats from coming in your house, there are several things you can do. First, make sure any scraps of food or leftovers are cleared away properly. Leaving them out will not only attract rats but other pests and flies too.

Make sure you take out your rubbish bin regularly as well. By letting it build up, you are creating the perfect environment for rats to come into your house and take a look.

Rats also love to stay out of sight when they make a home. They sometimes like living in bushes and shrubbery near your house so clear away any dead undergrowth near your house.

If you only have a few rats, you can try setting humane rat traps. These lure the pest in and then you can release them outside of your house. Many people prefer this method.

Trim any tree branches at least five feet away from your house and clean your gutters of all debris. Small animals can use the leaves and small twigs that collect for their nests and then it will only be a matter of time before they find their way into your house.

If you have a large infestation, you will most likely need to use chemical poisons. Before you buy anything, it is advisable to contact a pest control specialist.

Some products available on the market are harmful to the environment and might not be the best ones for your particular property.

A pest control company will be able to provide the most suitable products and even get rid of the problem discreetly and professionally for you.

Difficulties with pest control and mice will occur for most homes at some point in time. While it is possible to deal with mice on your own it can save time and money by hiring a professional to get rid of mice in house.

Mice tend to be a problem when the weather starts to get cold and the rodents look for a nice warm place to spend the winter. Many times this warm place will be somewhere in your home.

Contrary to many people’s perceptions, mice are more dangerous than rats as they can easily invade human homes. Mice are also smarter in getting their own sources of food, from nibbling on food cartons to cabinet wood.

Although the two have a lot of similarities, one of their most glaring differences is their size. When speaking in terms of weight, rats are ten times heavier than mice. Mice are also relatively shorter and have more even bodies.

Commonly, these two are judged against due to almost identical looks in domesticated forms.

Most homeowners will use mouse traps to get rid of mice. However, mouse traps do not do anything to stop the mice from getting into your home in the first place.

One of the main steps in pest control is to locate the nest of your pests. Once you have found the mice’s home, it is easier for you to strategize how you will block their entrances from your establishment or your home. When blocking mice entrances, you can use a fieldstone foundation that is about 3/8 larger than the initial hole.

Steel wool is a good material in stuffing your blockage’s corners so as to ensure its durability. Bear in mind that since mice can easily nibble on wood and softer textiles, using harder materials will help eliminate them faster and prevent them from reappearing inside your homes.

Most likely, in a week’s time, you will be able to witness positive results in your action towards pest control. For places that are usually invaded by mice, you will notice a remarkable change in the atmosphere.

A professional will know exactly where to begin looking for mice. They have experience in the areas that mice can access home, many times the homeowner will not be aware of these access points.

Besides finding any weak spots a professional will know the best way to seal them so the mice cannot gain access anymore. Not all openings can be fixed with nails and wood. Some will require spray foam, escutcheon rings or steel wool.

For best results, allow the blockage to remain for at least a month’s time. If the mice die inside the hole or right inside your wall, this will naturally emit a bad odor in places near its vicinity.

If you are attempting to deal with your mice problems yourself and not having any success, a professional can help. Most homeowners find that they would have spent less money by hiring a professional in the first place.

One of the primary concerns that you will have if you decide to join the mobile society will be the need for rodent exterminator and control of other annoying rodents in your camper.

When one considers the initial cost of these units, it almost insults your sense of value when you see how really cheap these campers are constructed. One would expect a bit more quality in both the construction and the workmanship, but we have to make do with what we have before us.

Campers are seldom built to be rodent-proof, and if you are like me you really have no hankering to discover mice crawling in bed with you at night.

When you first get your camper, make a complete inspection of it. Make the unit as tight as you possibly can. Unfortunately, the camper manufacturers are not in the least concerned about the problem of mice entering your unit. If properly sealed you will eliminate the majority of the mice right on the spot.

Rodent control becomes particularly important when you are out in the boondocks and in the process of becoming self-sufficient. Unfortunately, the pests are just part of the real estate when you elect this manner of living.

Of the million-plus Americans who have become full-time mobile citizens most have at one time or another had to deal with small infestations of mice. The key is to strike back immediately before it gets out of hand.

You will find it to be extremely important that you keep your camper living space tightly sealed making certain that all areas where the plumbing and wiring penetrate the interior are carefully sealed as well as all the doors and window fittings.

A mouse is capable of getting through a hole which is a mere eighth of an inch wide and only an inch across. These animals are amazing in that they can actually articulate their skull and ribs in order to squeeze into a tight space.

Even a fully grown adult rat requires only a quarter of an inch to obtain entrance. If not properly sealed you can rest assured that you will hear them scurrying around in your living space.

Even if you do manage to completely seal your camper, chances are great that you will still hear them moving about in the camper frame occasionally. It is however extremely comforting to know that they won’t invade your inside living space.

Food storage areas are likely to become a popular target with not only insects but rodents as well. The best way for you to minimize these effects is to maintain your entire dry foodstuff in some sort of closeable metallic container.

Plastic totes and bins are not a particularly effective means of storage when in the open.

Mice have been known to chew their way inside in order to get to the food. The best means of controlling pests is to keep a well organized and clean house particularly around your food supplies and its associated preparation area.

For many homeowners, mouse pest control is a major concern. Generally, when people hear the word rodent, the image of a mouse or maybe even a rat immediately jumps to mind.

The truth is, the rodent family includes a large number of mammals, some of whom have much less negative connotations associated with them, though that does not make them any less of a nuisance.

The main, identifying characteristic of all rodents is that they have a pair of continuously growing incisors in both their lower and upper jaws. These teeth must constantly be “manicured” short by gnawing and chewing on things.

Homes across the country are experiencing problems with mouse control. Mice are small mammals that tend to like to live in the walls, floors, and ceilings of homes. They gnaw away at the exterior until they have created a hole that is large enough for them to crawl in through.

Once they have entered your home, they will go about making a nest, where they are sheltered from the elements and can keep warm in the winter. Mice are small, so they can enter a crack as small as ¼ inch wide, which can make it very hard to keep them out.

Once a mouse is in your home, they pose a sanitation problem as they destroy household goods, and leave mouse urine and droppings throughout your home.

The best method of mouse control is to avoid having mice enter your house, to begin with. At least yearly, you should check the foundation of your home for cracks and crevices.

If you find any, you should make sure to fill them immediately, so that you can avoid having any mice get into them. If you have chimneys or fans on the outside of your home, make sure that you cover them with mesh, to prevent the mice from being able to enter your home.

Mice are proficient climbers and jumpers. Some can jump as high as 12″ off the ground and then can climb much higher, so make sure that any door or window is also covered with a tight-fitting metal screen.

Another important way to improve mouse control is to keep a clean and uncluttered home. As mentioned before, mice are tiny creatures and can live off of nothing more than crumbs.

Make sure that you keep all of your food sealed tightly in mouse-proof containers and cabinets, and that you secure all of your garbage in mouse-proof receptacles.

Clean up any crumbs that remain on your counter, your table or your floor immediately, so as not to give mice an opportunity to eat them. A hungry mouse will eventually leave if there is no source of food.

Sometimes even taking all of the best mouse pest control precautions may not be enough, and you may find that you have a small furry boarder holed up in your home. If you discover that you do have mice, set traps for them at once and then, get them out.