A sleek and graceful rodent that weighs five to nine ounces. The body is six to eight inches long and the tail is another seven to ten inches.

With the long tail as a stabilizer, it can walk wires, fence tops and tree limbs making entry into homes easy. It nests in walls, attics and trees.

The female can raise 20 babies per year. It is not aggressive and can exist in relative large numbers without ever being seen. Usual signs of an infestation are gnawing damages and droppings. Their droppings are approximately 1/2 inches in length and will be found in all areas that the rat travels. Entry points may have an oily appearance (rub) where the rats touch the structure. Another species, the Norway Rat is stockier and lives in burrows, sewers and piles of debris. Its droppings are 3/4 in. long.

Treatment:
Because of their ability to adapt, rats are difficult to control. Baits are effective but care must be taken to assure that children and pets can not come in contact with the baits. Bait in areas of activity. Rats are bait shy and will not usually approach new objects for a period of about a week. They also have a "pecking order" and the dominate ones will not allow the subservient ones to eat freely. Therefore, multiple bait stations are required to effectively gain control.

We recommend sealing all entry points after the baiting the baiting process has eliminated the infestation. Use a reversible bait for safety, because an accident with a child or pet need not be fatal with proper selection.

Use tamper resistant bait stations where children or pets are present.