Updated: Dec 29, 2022
Would you like to learn some rat facts? These creatures are fascinating even if we don’t want them living in our home. These are our top 5 most important rat facts that we think everyone should know.
Rats Are Brilliant Creatures
Rats are highly intelligent animals. They can be trained, they can solve mazes, and they can make some very clever distinctions. It’s not surprising that they can also find their way into your food pantry! For this reason, we think it’s important to respect them. As rodent control professionals, we understand how important it is to cull them humanely.
They’re Getting Bigger
Scientists have noticed that rats are getting larger from year to year. Rats are a species that survives and adapts to new situations incredibly well (most would say too well), and one of the ways they’re adapting right now is by growing.
Currently, they usually weigh half a pound on average, but researchers in New York have found rats as big as a pound a half. In a few hundreds or thousands of years, who knows how much bigger they might get?
Rats Like to Socialize
Rats are highly social creatures. They create families and live in communities. This is quite sweet (and explains why they can be such loving pets). The downside is that if you spot a rat in your home, you can rest assured that there is probably a very large family of them hiding somewhere in your attic or walls.
They Reproduce Quickly
The speed with which rodents reproduce is truly astounding. Mice take the cake, but rats still impress. A female rat is capable of reducing when she’s only 5 weeks old and can have 5 litters of 7 offspring in a year. In other words, this means that rats can go from 2 to thousands in just a year… let’s just hope that they don’t decide to carry out this exercise in exponential growth from the safety of your home.
There Are Different Types of Rats
There are many different types of rats in the world. In California homes, you’re most likely to spot brown rats (aka Norway rats) and black rats (aka roof rats). Domesticated rats are usually called fancy rats. They were first bred from brown rats in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Over the decades, both their behavior and the color of their coat was changed through human intervention. Domesticated rats are much calmer than wild rats, which is why they can feel more comfortable and even show affection to their human caretakers.
You can’t adopt a wild rat as a pet because it simply doesn’t have the right demeanor.
Bonus: Rats Are Cool When They’re Far Away
Rats are fascinating creatures. They’re true survivors, and domesticated ones can make for incredible pets. Unfortunately, as pests, they can make a lot of trouble. They can carry diseases, and they will absolutely make a mess of your food stores or insulation.
While pet rats can be awesome, we encourage you to take measures to discourage wild rats from showing up in your home. The best way to prevent an infestation is by keeping entry points into your house sealed up and by keeping food sources locked away.
If you’re dealing with an active infestation, your best bet is professional rodent control. We can eliminate rodents from your property, and help you take the right precautionary measures to prevent them from coming back.
