New England, Meet Your Neighbor: The Norway Rat
New England has a little bit of something for everyone, from big city flavor to the rustic charm of the tiniest towns. Whether tourists are looking for beaches or mountains or farmland or all of the above, New England is one destination that delivers it all.
This also makes it quite appealing for another kind of tourist, a drifter type that doesn’t stop and ask for directions but just follows its nose, so to speak: New England’s number-one large rodent offender, the Norway rat.
Meet the Norway Rat
Norway rats aren’t particular at all about where they holiday; or, for that matter, where they live year-round. They don’t search the Internet for population densities or topographical maps—they’re as happy in Boston as they are in tiny Vermont villages; at the foot of Mount Washington or the beaches of Cape Cod. Norway rats don’t care about their neighbors or the scenery, so long as they can find the one thing they spend their whole lives in search of: food.
Commonly referred to as a street rat or sewer rat, Norway rats are thought to have originated in Asia, making their way to the United States in the 1700s as stowaways aboard sea vessels. They’ve since managed to populate areas all around the world, where they damage property and gnaw away at structures, earning for themselves a place among human’s most loathed vermin.
They’re not incredibly large, with averages between half to one pound in weight and about a foot and a quarter from their nose to the tip of their tail in length. Their bodies are completely covered in coarse brown or dark gray fur, except for their bald ears and scaly tail. They don’t live long in the wild—an average of two years—but a stress-free life in captivity can extend that to five. Similar to most nocturnal creatures, they generally steer clear of other animals and humans during the day, leaving their homes at night to forage for food.
Although there are multiple known predators of the Norway rat, they themselves are actually more likely to be the bullies than the ones getting bullied. Norway rats have even displaced populations of their smaller, less physically intimidating cousins, roof rats. In fact, Norway rats’ natural aggression is part of what has allowed them to thrive in spite of their relative size.
A Small Stature, but Serious Threat
Just like most wild rodents, Norway rats pose a significant threat to human health and safety. Having lived in such close proximity with humans for hundreds of years now, Norway rats carry a variety of what are called zoonotic pathogens, or diseases that can be transmitted to humans. These include Seoul virus and hepatitis E as well as several infectious types of bacteria. Not only that, ectoparasites like fleas are rampant in Norway rat populations, which can affect both humans and their pets.
Between their appetites for destruction and the collection of viruses, bacteria and parasites they carry everywhere they go, it’s important to do what you can to keep them out of your property. If you discover Norway rats in your home or business, you need to address the problem in order to protect the health of your home, commercial building, and anyone who might reside or work in either.
Are rats invading your turf? For more information on how to bring professional rodent control to your home or business, contact us for a free consultation.
