Colorado is home to numerous different rat species, most of which do not interfere with humans. However, there are two rat species that commonly invade people’s homes and business, which are the brown rat and the packrat. When people think of rats, they think of the New York City sewer rats, which are brown rats. These rats are brown to grey in color and are 11 inches long from the tip of their nose to the base of their tail. Their tail can be another 10 inches long with an overall length of 21 inches. Their tails are hairless and have scales on them. Brown rats are thought to have come from China and are the most successful mammal on Earth, aside from humans. In the early 2000’s, brown rats were found in small pockets of metropolitan areas across the front range of Colorado. Now, the population of brown rats has hit record highs and there is no slow down in sight. These rats are prolific breeders and there is little stopping the movement of these rodents from getting embedded in every major city across Colorado. Read more about nuisance rats of Colorado…
Brown rats will have litters year around and they average 7 young per litter but can have as many as 14 young per litter. They are sexually mature at only 5 weeks old. If you were to do the math, a pair of brown rats can produce 15,000 rats per year. These rats are amazing at adapting to the human environment and they thrive from our trash and junk. It has been studied that some rats never leave more than 65 feet from the nest their entire life because they have everything, they need that close, being food, water and shelter. Brown rats are highly intelligent, and they are very wary of new things in their environment (neophobic). This makes pest control options difficult because they must get used to traps and or bait stations before results can be expected.
Nuisance Rats of Colorado
Packrats, also known as woodrats, are native to Colorado. There are a few different packrat species that call Colorado home, most of which live in rocky habitats within the foothills and mountains. These rats have long hairy tails, large ears and are about 15 inches long and look like chinchillas. They average 3-4 litters per year and have an average of 5 young per litter. Packrats get their name from their behavior of hording things. It has been shown that these rats love shiny objects like jewelry. Packrats nests are known as middens, and inside these nests you will find all the objects that the rats are hoarding. You will find sticks, rocks, plants, feces, urine, and anything else that the rodent finds valuable. Middens provide an archeological insight into the past and some records go back as far as 50,000 years. Inside these middens, scientists can find the different kinds or flora in that area and it also provides a snapshot into what the climate was years ago. Middens are like rodent time capsules.
Packrats are far easier to control than brown rats and they seldom fear new things in their environment. One of their favorite baits is a Hershey kiss, which satisfies their sweet tooth and it attracts them because of the shiny tinfoil wrapping. These rats have a very cool personality and will often drop off rocks that they find of value, especially if they take something in return of value to them. Regardless, we can help you, or your business rid the property of rats. We have been dealing with both species of rats for years and you will find it difficult to find another company with more experienced technicians. Give us a call today, we would love to help you out.