Rats
Have you heard scuttling under the floorboards? Can you see signs of a potential rodent nesting site? And have you ever wondered what makes a mutant rat so “super”?
If you think you’ve spotted signs of a rat infestation, you’re in the right place.
It's difficult to know how many rats there are in the UK, with estimates putting the number anywhere between 10.5 million and 120 million.
The dangers: why we control rats
Pathogens and disease
Rats communicate and mark their territory by urinating everywhere they go, representing a significant public health risk.
They can carry many nasty diseases, which can spread to humans, normally through rats’ urine or bodies coming into contact with food preparation areas.
These include:
Leptospirosis (often referred to as Weil's disease)
Salmonella
Listeria
Toxoplasma gondii
Hantavirus.
Black rats have also been most notably blamed for the Black Death plague that swept through Europe in the 14th and 17th Centuries, although a study in 2015 suggests that they may not actually be responsible for the pandemic.
Property damage
The problems associated with rats are not just limited to public health.
They also have a knack for causing structural damage.
Rats have to gnaw in order to keep their teeth in shape, and they’re not shy about what they gnaw on.
Cinderblock, wood, glass, metal, bone - rats’ teeth will take on pretty much any challenge, which is why they can cause untold damage to both homes, businesses and the occasional finger.
Flooding from gnawed pipes and electrical fires from chewed wires may be associated with rat infestations.
Rats around businesses
Property owners have a legal obligation under the Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 to keep premises rodent free, or, if rodents pose a threat to health or property, to report infestations to the local authority.
And if a company or organisation has a highly publicised rat problem, then it will heavily impact its reputation.
Poor reviews of businesses or products are easily viewed and shared online.
A rat spotted running through a restaurant can mean the end of the road for that establishment, while no-one wants to share a hotel swimming pool with a bathing rodent.
And aside from the reputational costs, there are also fines for businesses found to have a pest problem. These usually come at a significant expense and repeat offenders are in danger of facing legal action.
Environmental Health Officers can issue enforcement notices to business owners who don’t have adequate pest management procedures in place.
Rats around the home
It goes without saying that rat infestations can have a devastating impact on personal wellbeing.
Aside from the health risks, the sound of them scuttling around the home, the evidence of their presence and the damage they can cause do little to help householders sleep easy.
Types of rat in the UK
There are two species of rat in Britain, the most common of which is Rattus Norvegicus, otherwise known as the Brown Rat or Common Rat.
The other is Rattus Rattus, commonly referred to as the Black Rat or Ship Rat, which is now rarely found in the UK.
Home for the brown rat is somewhere that provides food, water and shelter.
In homes, they will live in roof spaces, wall cavities or under floorboards.
In gardens, they will burrow into grassy banks or under sheds. Rat holes beside solid structures are sure signs of a nest.
Brown rats are also often found living in sewer systems.
Black rats are rare in Britain but occasionally found in shipping ports. They are also incredibly agile and so may be found nesting in roof spaces or attics.