A customer recently sent me a picture of unknown feces in his cellar, I know what it is!  He had his suspicions, and I confirmed them.  It was indeed a rat, and a good sized one at that.  Norway rats, (Rattus norvegicicus) also known as house rats, brown rats, sewer rats, and wharf rats are the most common rat pest in North America.  This species of rat has been living alongside humankind since the dawn of humanity. Rats first evolved in tropical jungles with a wide variety of food sources.  Rats are eager hitchhikers, explorers, and opportunists, and quickly took advantage of human agriculture, shipping, and global movement to spread worldwide.  They did not come from Norway!  Rats also transported fleas carrying the black plague.  Rats contaminate and ruin foodstuffs, chew wires, destroy pipes, and can cause enormous damage if left unchecked.   Rat populations can explode if conditions are right.  Both urban and country settings are acceptable to a rat.  Rat populations are dynamic. Older rats rule the nest or burrow expanse, operating mostly at night without fear, younger rats are forced to leave the nest and form new families, or work on the sidelines, even during daylight when the dominant male is sleeping.  Rats are territorial and may have interconnected tunnels to defend.  Construction and weather conditions may drive rats from long held harborage sites into nearby homes.  Since rats in the wild live less than 2 years, generations of rats can create endless tunnels under homes and streets connected to old sewers etc… It is out there and the rats live there.  Rat control has three facets:  Kill the rats, Remove food sources, and Seal of entry points.  Pest Control Professionals at Colonial Pest Control Inc. (1-800-525-8084) can advise you and design a Rat Management Strategy for you! (See Photos of Rat Feces)

Tim Chace

1/5/2016