There are two types of rats in British Columbia commonly notice, particularly west coast area.Those are Brown rats (Norway rats) and Black rats (Roof rats).
A Brown rat also know as common rat, street rat, sewer rat, etc.The head and body lenth is 11 inch (28cm) long, and tail is slighly shorter than that.It weighs between 140 to 500 g.
The brown rat is nocturnal and is a good swimmer, both on the surface and underwater, and has been observed climbing slim round metal poles several feet in order to reach garden bird feeders. Brown rats dig well, and often excavate extensive burrow systems.
The brown rat is a true omnivore and will consume almost anything, but cereals form a substantial part of its diet. Martin Schein, founder of the Animal Behavior Society in 1964, studied the diet of brown rats and came to the conclusion that the most-liked foods of brown rats include scrambled eggs, macaroni and cheese, raw carrots, and cooked corn kernels. According to Schein, the least-liked foods were raw beets, peaches, and raw celery.
The black rat also known as roof rat, ship rat or house rat is a common long-tailed rodent. It is black to light browm in colour.
A typical adult black rat is 13 to 18 cm. (5 to 7 in.) long, not including a 15 to 22 cm. (6 to 9 in.) tail, and weighs 75 to 230 g depending on the subspecies.
Black rat eats a wide range of foods, including seeds, fruit, stems, leaves, fungi, and a variety of invertebrates and vertebrates. Rat eats any meal provided for cows, swine, chickens, cats, and dogs.rat eats about 15 grams and drink about 15 millilitres per day.
Rat can breed throughout the year if conditions are suitable, with a female producing up to five litters a year. The gestation period is only 21 days, and litters can number up to 14, although seven is common.They increase very fast, grow from 2 to 15000 in a year
Females are capable of becoming pregnant immediately after giving birth, and can nurse one litter while pregnant with another. Females are able to produce and raise two healthy litters of normal size and weight without significantly changing their own food intake.
Rat life is 3 years by nature, although most barely manage one. A yearly mortality rate of 95% is approximatley, with predators and interspecies conflict as major causes.
Rats generally begin a new burrow adjacent to an object or structure, as this provides a sturdy "roof" for the section of the burrow nearest to the ground's surface. Burrows usually develop to eventually include multiple levels of tunnels, as well as a secondary entrance.Burrows provide rats with shelter and food storage, as well as safe, thermo-regulated nest sites.
Rat may carry a number of pathogens, which can result in disease, including Weil's disease, rat bite fever, cryptosporidiosis, viral hemorrhagic fever, Q fever and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome.
This species can also serve as a reservoir for Toxoplasma gondii, the parasite that causes toxoplasmosis, though the disease usually spreads from rats to humans when domestic cats feed on infected brown rats.They can also be responsible in transmitting Angiostrongylus larvae to humans.Brown rats are sometimes mistakenly thought to be a major reservoir of bubonic plague, a possible cause of the Black Death.
Rat droppings are, usually about 3/8 inch long and 1/8 inch in diameter, rounded tips. But could be with some size variance. Fresh droppings are black or dark brown, but get lighter with age.Rat have 35 to 50 dropping a day.
NOTE:-Never put poison for rats inside the house or building, the reason for that if they die inside the wall, would be very bad smell and could stay for months. There is no solution for smell unless you break the wall to remove dead rat.
Yes you can put poison outside for rats and mice but it should be inside the secure and locked boxes.
Inside the house or building trapping is the best and secure method to solve rat problem. We recommend you to consult with professional in any satuation for best solution. We are happy to explain you the best solution.