Rats are one of the most feared pests as they can cause serious damage to our environment because they are capable of damaging the structure and floors of buildings by gnawing, grinding their nails or trying to make their burrows.
For this reason, when there are signs of rodents, it is essential to seek a rapid solution to put an end to them as soon as possible.

The main rodents present in Andalusia are:
• Home made mouse (Mus musculus)
• Brown or grey rat (Rattus norvegicus)
• Black or Rooftop Rat (Rattus rattus)

Reproductive biology of rodents

Rodents are mammals, the young are pregnant for about 19-22 days. Rodent offspring are born hairless, blind and deaf. During the first weeks they feed on their mother’s milk and in 2-4 weeks, depending on the species, they are weaned. Females usually give birth to 4-12 offspring at each birth, about 20-35 offspring throughout their lives, which is usually about a year old. The pups mature sexually at 2-3 months. In other words, from one alpha female over the course of a year there can be thousands of individuals, as they grow exponentially if there is enough food and no predators.

RODENT BEHAVIOUR

Rodents are territorial animals that live in colonies. Each colony has a dominant male, called an alpha, one or more females, several subordinate males and the offspring of recent litters.

Rodents are mainly active at night. In the case of rats and unlike other rodents, they create burrows. In the case of the common or sewer rat the burrow is underground, and as the population grows it expands and connects to other hiding places creating a complex network of underground tunnels. In the case of the black rat or roof rat, burrows are usually located in trees, roof beams, attics or holes in ceilings or walls, and are rarely underground.

RATS AND THEIR FOOD

The diet of rats and other rodents is basically omnivorous, although there are usually species-specific preferences. Thus, mice have a preference for cereal grains, the common rat for meat and the black rat for fruit, vegetables, cereals and nuts.

RATS LIKE TO GNAW

With their inexhaustible ability to gnaw, rats and other rodents can spoil a lot of food and building elements (electrical wiring, door frames, wooden structures, etc.). To avoid this, it is important to prevent rats from entering buildings by blocking entrances and sealing cracks, however small.

RATS ARE VERY AGILE ANIMALS

Rodents can pass through very narrow openings. Thus, a mouse can pass through a 6-7 mm hole (the diameter of a pen) and a rat can pass through a 20 mm hole. In addition, they are good swimmers and good climbers, being able to climb up and down vertical slopes.

RATS ARE A HEALTH AND ECONOMIC RISK

The rodent activity of these animals can cause serious structural and electrical damage to affected buildings. In addition, they can be a vector for the transmission of diseases to humans such as rabies, cholera, plague, hepatitis or salmonellosis. In addition, they transmit numerous microbes such as salmonella, hantavirus, leptospirosis or Weil’s disease, among others, making them a danger to the health of humans and domestic animals.

The spread of disease can occur through direct contact through a bite or indirectly through the ingestion of contaminated food or water that has been in direct contact with the rodents or their droppings such as feces or urine, since they use it as a trail to where their food source is for their companions to find. Rats also carry other insects such as mites, fleas or ticks, which can cause serious allergic reactions.

To detect the presence of rats you should look for the following signs:

• Noises when running through false ceilings or gnawing on the walls or under the floor.
• Presence of rat droppings, which are elongated and spiked at about 10-14mm in length.
• Strong smell, similar to ammonia, especially in closed areas.
• Numerous damage caused by the teeth of rats, which can even cause fires when they gnaw on the electricity cables.
• Rat nests or burrows are usually found in warm, hidden places or in gardens.

At Gimasur, we have technicians who are experts in the treatment of pests of rats, who know their living habits and the different treatments that can be carried out to eliminate them completely, allowing us to provide a service adapted to your needs, guaranteeing its effectiveness and the healthiness of you and your family.