As warm-blooded creatures, rats seek out protection from the elements in the winter. If they can get into your home, they will happily share it with you. Once inside, they can cause a significant amount of damage and you will have a hard time removing them. Effective rat control starts with being informed. Below are some facts about rats that you may not know.

1. Their Incisors Keep Growing

A rat’s front teeth can grow between 4.5 and 5.5 inches per year. They are specially designed for gnawing and they keep them short by gnawing on objects around them. If they infest your home, those objects may include the wood, brick and other materials that make up the structure.

2. They Reproduce Rapidly

Rats become sexually mature anywhere between three and four months old. At this age, a female rat may come into heat every four or five days. While in heat, she may mate as much as 500 times and give birth to litters each consisting of four to five offspring.

3. They Can Gain Entry Through Small Openings

Rats can get into your home via openings as small as half an inch. This is due to the fact that their bodies are long and flexible. They can judge whether they will fit through a hole by using their whiskers. If the hole is too small, rats may gnaw away at the material to make it larger.