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What do Norway rats look like?
Norway rats, also commonly referred to as brown rats and sewer rats, have shaggy brown or gray fur, bulging eyes, blunt noses, and close-set ears. From the tips of their noses to the end of their bald tails Norway rats measure approximately 16 inches and may weigh over a pound.
Where do Norway rats nest?
Outside Norway rats are typically found living and nesting in fields, along riverbanks, in garbage piles and wood piles, and underneath of concrete slabs. When these rats infest homes and other buildings they are often found nesting in basements, crawl spaces, and behind the walls of ground floors. They are poor climbers and therefore do not usually infest the upper levels of buildings or attic spaces.
Are Norway rats dangerous?
Yes, Norway rats are dangerous. They expose people to disease and bacteria including plague, jaundice, rat-bite fever, and salmonellosis. Norway rats may introduce fleas, ticks and mites as well.
Damages caused by Norway rats
A Norway rat infestation can lead to extensive damage to structures and belongings. Like other rodents, Norway rats have front incisors that continuously grow. In order to prevent overgrowth, they gnaw constantly. In a home or business, they often chew on wires, pipes, drywall and insulation, other building material and furniture as well as clothing, books and personal belongings.
Additionally, the burrowing habits of Norway rats can lead to issues with foundations and slabs while their nesting and foraging habits are destructive. These large rodents may also contaminate spaces with their feces and urine.
How do you get rid of Norway rats?
Norway rats are difficult to exterminate in homes and businesses without the help of professional rodent control specialists. DIY rat control is ineffective because it typically does not address the root cause of the infestation.
At Pine State Pest Solutions, we offer effective rodent control and management plans for both residential and commercial environments in Saco, Portland, and Brunswick as well as throughout our multi-county service area.
Bundle your rodent control with home pest control for ultimate pest protection
For homeowners who find themselves battling rats and mice as well as other nuisance and potentially destructive pests common to our region, Pine State Pest Solutions offers comprehensive home pest control services that target both rodents and insects.
Starting as low as $35/month*
Pine State’s Home Protection is an affordable pest control plan that is ideal for homeowners who want general pest control services that target common house-infesting insects and rodents.
When you sign up for this ongoing service, you’ll receive an initial service visit to treat the existing pest problem and then seasonal service visits spread out over the year to ensure pests stay out. That’s a total of four services annually.
Pests covered under Pine State’s Home Protection plan include carpenter ants, cornfield ants, crazy ants, field ants, little black ants, pavement ants, Asian lady beetles, carpet beetles, cigarette beetles, drugstore beetles, flour beetles, ground beetles, hide beetles, larder beetles, saw-toothed grain beetles, warehouse beetles, boxelder bugs, carpenter bees, centipedes, clover mites, American cockroaches, brown-banded cockroaches, German cockroaches, wood cockroaches, field crickets, house crickets, European earwigs, cat fleas, dog fleas, firebrats, cluster flies, fruit flies, bald-faced hornets, European hornets, deer mice, house mice, millipedes, Angoumois grain moths, drain moths, Indian meal moths, Mediterranean flour moths, mud daubers, Norway rats, paper wasps, pill bugs, rice weevils, silverfish, sow bugs, springtails, cellar spiders, daddy longlegs spiders, house spiders, jumping spiders, sac spiders, wolf spiders, Western conifer seed bugs, and yellow jackets.
*Some exclusions apply- please see your agreement
Norway rat prevention tips
Listed below are some helpful tips from our local Maine pest control experts to help prevent Norway rats from becoming a problem in and around your property.
- Do not store firewood inside or right against the side of the house.
- Seal any opening on the exterior of the structure. This is also commonly referred to as building them out.
- Implement a good housekeeping plan.
- Organize storage areas to eliminate potential harborages.
- Remove potential food sources like overflowing garbage cans and pet food left outside.
- Use durable outdoor trash cans and make sure the covers fit. Do not overfill.