Rat dangers
Rats are a serious threat to human health, well being and to our food suplies. Its now just houses rats infest its farms and food storage like grain silos and factories. The United Nations has reported billions of dollars in losses to general and emergency food supplies around the world due to rats and warns that rats, if left unchecked can lead to serious food issues and an actual collaps of human society. This may seem strange to you but that may be because you have never had a rat infestation in your home. They are a serious danger to society and if not treated and dealt with could invade our world in ways we could not imagine.
Are Rats Native
Rats are not from around here. They are not native to this country nor are they native to any other country outside of Europe. These rats come from Norway. Which is why they bare the name Norway rats. There are no native rats in North or South America. They all came from Europe during the pre industrial age of global expansion. This is a serious problem as they steal food from other species, kill nessecary species and are destroying our ecosystem. They have been now for hundreds of years.
Rat life cycle
These animals are notorious for their deperation. The only thing holding them back is that humans are capable of treating them and killing them en mass. Rats are, like mice, fast growing and fast breeding machines. It takes only three weeks from infancy for a rat to become and adult and start feeding themselves. At five weeks they can mate with other rats and the process starts over again. Like mice thier population growth is exponentioally. Along with that they have no real predators in North America save predatory birds and with their ability to make under ground burrows those birds rarely get a taste of the action.
Rats dont live in the house
A common misnomer is that rats live in the house and nest in the walls like mice do. They do not. Rats are very aware of their size and that humans will kill them if they are seen. They live on the exterior in burrows under ground and will enter the house only to find food. Thier preference is to find food mostly on the exterior as their primary food source. Bird feeders are their number one favourit food to the extent that commercial rat bait is coated blocks of bird seed similar to what you would hang in a bird cage. Having bird feeders is an invitation to them.
Rats dying in the walls
One of the largest issues with rats is when they start oming into the house looking for food. They do, though its rare, sometimes nest inside the walls of the house but that is not common. They will only do it if they find a space like a basement with storage that none enters with any regularity.
Natural treatment
There are many natural ways to get rid of rats. They may take time and a lot of elbow grease but if you are not interested in a commercial treatment then there are some things you can try. Storing your garbage in tightly sealed containers that are locked and tamper proof is step one. Step two is using things like black pepper, cayenne pepper and anything spice you can find to deter them. Rats do not have a sense of taste so much a a sense of smell. These spices burn their noses and eyes and will cause them to leave the property. You can mix it with water and spray it over your garden and around the base of the house.