The brown rat is the most common species we have in Sweden. The body measures 25 cm with the tail included, the tail itself is about 17-20 cm. At the age of 2 months it becomes mature and a female can get 3-6 litters a year with 6-12 pups each. Normally the pregnancy lasts for 24-25 days. An experiment with one female and one male rat turned out 800 pups in only one year. Rats are omnivores but prefer fat products. In the wild, a rat becomes approximately 6 months old. They live in the ground, buildings or in sewage systems. Rats are often looking for properties and a crack measuring 13 mm is enough for them to get in. They are talented climbers and can jump up to 1.5 m. They may also spread diseases such as zoonosis.
How to avoid them:
- Keep pipe transit seal sealed
- Floor drains should have proper lids
- Doors must be intact
- Outer walls must be intact without cracks, if not, we can help you to seal them
- Keep clean and tidy next to rubbish bins
- Avoid vegetation close to properties
- Don't feed birds where you want to keep rats away
- Keep clean and tidy both inside and outside your house
Suitable treatments: mechanical/automatic traps.