Rats can cause you all sorts of problems such as damaging your property due to constant gnawing through objects (even metal), to trying and gain access to your property. They can damage insulation pipes, doors, floor boards and they will shred things they find in order to create nests. Rats also spread diseases that they carry, and can contaminate food as the pathogens in a rat’s urine and droppings can transmit diseases such as Weil’s disease, salmonellosis and rat-bite fever. As soon as you find you have a rat problem, it is important to seek treatment as they can produce up to seven litters of six to ten (sometimes over 15) young a year.
There are two species of rats known in the UK. The first is the rattus rattus (also known as the black rat or ship rat), this rodent originated in South East Asia, India and China. The second one is the rattus norvegicus (also known as the brown rat, common rat, Norway rat and the sewer rat). This rodent was first recorded in Europe at the beginning of the 18th Century, but originated in Asia and China.