Know Your Enemy
Accurate identification of pests is as important as choosing the best preventive pest management available on the market today. Preventive Pest Control has compiled a list of most common pests to help you identify the problem.
Black Rat
(Rattus rattus)
Characteristics
The black rat is the most common type of rat found around the world. The adult rat has a body length of 5 1/2 to 9 inch and another 6 7/10 to 11 inches for the tail. It can weigh around 16/100 to 1/2 lb. They have long ears, pointed muzzle and are slender. Their distinguishing feature is their hairless, scaly tail that is longer than their whole body.
Habitat
In its natural habitat, this rodent stays on trees. It can climb on trees, particularly well and can be found in palm trees, mixed shrubs and pines. To create a nest, the black rat will use sticks and dry leaves to make its spherical nest and place it on top of the branches, just like how birds do. But, it can also create its nest underground. When it is found indoors, this rat can create a harborage in the wall, beneath the floorboards and above the ceiling.
Behavior
Black rats are nocturnal creatures. However, when they live in close proximity to people, they can be active in both day or night. They also live within a small family where they are ruled by the dominant rat. They are excellent climbers and will live above ground.
These rodents are cleaner than other rats when it comes to their eating habits. They will spend much of their time grooming their furs, tails and paws after their daily activities.
Food
Black rats are known to cause harm in nature as they are omnivorous. However, their main diet consists of plants. They will eat birds, insects, and a wide variety of crops. These rodents prefer to eat fresh and dry food, seeds, plants, tree bark, insects, snails, bird’s eggs and nestlings, and almost anything they think is food.
Life Cycle
Once the rats become sexually mature, 12 to 16 weeks after being born, the female rat may begin to mate. She will need three weeks of gestation before the new batch of rats are born. A female black rat can have around 5 to 7 young and can have 3 to 6 litters per year.
Other Information and Tips
They may be more hygienic than the brown rat, but black rats are also carriers of diseases and should be avoided. They are known to be carrier of the flea that is responsible for the bubonic plague. They also attack and kill chicks and adult birds. They are even blamed for the decline and extinction of different birds and other species. On plant communities, black rats are blamed for damaging young saplings as they prevent regeneration of adult trees.
With the dangers they possess, it is important to get rid of these rodents once they start creating harborage on your home. Search for their nest and use traps or baits to control them. If serious infestations occur, contact your local rodent control specialist to properly eliminate these black rats.
Photo by Kilessan (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons / resized from original
