Tag Archives: Norway Rats

Wild Norway Rat Behaviors Impact Commercial Businesses

Wild Norway Rat Behaviors Impact Commercial Businesses
Wild Norway Rat Behaviors Impact Commercial Businesses

Norway rats weren’t always a problem for business owners in the NJ and NYC areas. However, these invasive rats have become a big issue in our region. Knowing more about their behavior can help you understand why they’ve been so successful at building large populations and why they’re such a menace to local business owners.

High Birth Rates

Norway rats don’t have a long life span. In fact, they only live for about a year in the wild. However, these rodents make up for that short life span by having a high rate of birth. Norway rats were found to have a birth rate that falls between one and six percent per month when conditions favor their reproduction. This allows them to maintain larger populations in many areas even if individual rats don’t live very long. These large populations also make professional NJ rat control a must for business owners who have an infestation of these rodents.

Food Access 

Norway rats in the wild sometimes live completely apart from humans, but this usually doesn’t last long. These rats have learned that food is easy to find around human dwellings and businesses, causing them to hang around dumpsters or get into restaurants, homes and other buildings.

If Norway rats are invading your building, Stern Environmental can provide prompt help. Contact us to learn more about our NJ rat control services.

What We Can Learn from History and Rat Eradication Tactics

What We Can Learn from History and Rat Eradication Tactics
What We Can Learn from History and Rat Eradication Tactics

NYC rat control is in the news along with four other major metropolitan cities across the globe experiencing an excessive rat population. In an effort to get the rats under control, these cities have gone to extreme lengths to find a solution.

Brooklyn

According to officials, in 2007 Brooklyn had the worst rat infestation. The cities solution was to populate the borough with opossums. Sounds good except the rats outran the opossums creating their own excessive population.

Chicago

In 2000, the Windy City addressed the problem with another four-legged predator; coyotes. In a test program, the city felt a group of Wiley coyotes could clean up the city; and they have.

Paris, France

The City of Lights has an estimated eight million furry creatures roaming the streets. That’s more than the cities human population times four. Each spring, the city has a campaign called “Le Smash” where teams scour the public parks and citizens check their homes to take care of business.

Shanghai, China

Shanghai, like Paris, is overrun and their solution is a Spring Rats Elimination Campaign where hundreds of people lay traps.

Edinburgh, Scotland

The Scots have taken rat control to another level using rat birth control methods with success.

NYC rat control is one of the specialties of Stern Environmental. With expert technicians, equipment, and treatments rats can become a thing of the past in your home. Call today; be rat-free tomorrow.

NYC Rats – Everything is Bigger in the Big Apple!

NYC Rats - Everything is Bigger in the Big Apple!
NYC Rats – Everything is Bigger in the Big Apple!

NYC rat control is a big job – almost as big as the rodents in the crosshairs. Just how big are the rats making up the Big Apple’s rodent population?

Large & In Charge
According to recent research from a doctoral student at Fordham University, some of New York City’s largest rodents are nearly 1 ½ pounds, with some topping the scales at a whopping 2 pounds.

What About Those Giant, Mutant Rats You’ve Heard So Much About?
The study’s leader doesn’t believe there are any 3 pounders, as he’s yet to find evidence of a rodent that rotund. And though much-larger Gambian pouched rats have been found in NYC, they’re believed to be released pets, and not part of an active, breeding population.

The Good News, If Any?
Bigger rats are not more dangerous. And that’s a good thing, because the resident rodent population of NYC’s common species, Rattus norvegicus, tops the charts at a whopping 2 billion according to a 2014 study. Bigger rats are also less commonly out-and-about, leaving their younger progeny to tackle riskier food sources, sticking to their own known and reliable supply.

How Can You Avoid These Supersized Sneaks?
By steering clear of dumpsters and other rat-favored buffet locales – and with a proactive prevention and treatment program.

Have your NYC rat control issues gotten a little larger? Let the pros at Stern Environmental Group cut them down to size.

How to ID a Norway Rat

Rats
The Norway Rat

They’re big, they’re scary, and they do damage to your home. This is the reputation of a Norway rat. If you have an issue with rats, you definitely want the disease carrying rodents removed from your property.

Rats rely on their sense of smell, taste, touch, and hearing, are natural explorers, and gnaw and chew resulting in structural damage.

Habitat

Norway rats are larger than a roof rat and weigh about 1 pound. They’re stocky and covered in coarse brown or reddish gray fur. Brought to the U.S. around 1775, the burrowing rodent is found in the 48 contiguous states.

Rats live near residences and buildings because of easier access to food, water and shelter. You’ll find their nests below or at ground level.

Menu

Norway rats aren’t picky eaters. They prefer fresh food including grains, nuts, fruit and meat and require about an ounce of water daily. Garbage cans are a favorite buffet because they provide food and moisture.

Rats running in and around your home or business is not something you want to deal with at any day any time. With the help of a NYC pest control specialist, an infestation can be eliminated, fast.

At Stern Environmental Group, our NYC pest control specialists have the expertise and products to do a thorough job. Contact us and let’s set up an appointment to get ride of rats faster than a New York minute.