Rodents consume and destroy stored food. They contaminate food (through urine, faces, fur and paws), and destroy property by gnawing and spreading disease. These creatures are attracted wherever food is stored and if they gain access, they can be very difficult to eliminate.
In the fourteenth century, 25 million people died from bubonic plague spread by fleas from rats to humans. Rats are also associated with passing on disease such as typhus, Weill's disease, rat bite fever and trichinosis.
Characteristics of Rodents
The characteristics of the common rat are as follows:
- They weigh about 300 grams and are approximately 40 cm long
- Are sexually mature after 3 1/2 to 4 months, have five to eight litters per year and up to twelve off-springs per litter.
- The average life expectancy is 6-9 months and only 5% live over 1 year.
- New born rats have a great resistance to temperature extremes and lack of oxygen at -3°C, respiration may fall to zero in a rat and it can still survive for up to 10 days and rats have been found alive in cold storms.
- Rats mark off their own territory and attack intruders
- They can gain entry to a premise if there is an opening greater than 12.5 mm in diameter
- They can climb vertical pipes which are within 75 mm of a wall
- Rats can jump 90 cm vertically and 120 cm horizontally
- They can fall up to 15 metres and survive
- Rats can swim
- Rats are afraid of the unknown, are creatures of habit and are suspicious by nature and tend to avoid new objects.