Knoxville's Exclusive Guide to The Brown Rat

In Tennessee, rats getting into buildings can become a huge problem in the winter. When the weather begins to drop, rodents may try to seek shelter inside your home. Now is time to protect your home from the arrival of brown rats and learn what to do if they get inside. Here’s some helpful information about brown rats and what to do about them.

How to Identify a Brown Rat

Brown rats are the most common type of rat. In fact, they’re among the most common mammals and are considered to be the most successful. They live everywhere that humans live, which is why they could end up inside your home this winter. Because brown rats live in so many places, they are known by a lot of different names. You may know them as brown rats, Norway rats, sewer rats, wharf rats, or street rats.

They’re fairly large, around 5 to 10 inches in length. They can weigh half a pound. They range in color from gray to brown, or even black. Their fur appears greasy, unlike mice, and they have long, hairless tails. They’re nocturnal and very cautious, making them hard to spot and hard to get rid of.

History of the Brown Rat

Brown rats, though often called Norway rats, did not originate in Norway. They first appeared in Asia. They did well as stowaways on ships and traveled across the world as trade increased. This is one of the reasons they are so prevalent everywhere humans live. Today, brown rats are sometimes kept as pets. Often, they’re used for research in laboratories. However, most of the time, they’re just pests.

Rat Dangers

There are reasons people don’t like rats. These pests are extremely dangerous. Rats have been known to carry many different diseases. These include hemorrhagic fever, leptospirosis, rat-bite fever, and salmonellosis. Even if you don’t directly come in contact with a rat, you can become sick by touching rat-contaminated food and cooking surfaces.

Rats are dangerous to property. They gnaw almost constantly, and can destroy furniture, cabinets, food, clothing, books, or even electronics. In some cases, rats have been known to chew on wires, causing electrical fires. Furthermore, they can get into your pantry and cabinets and eat and ruin food products.

If you have rats, or even if you just suspect you do, contact Russell’s Pest Control. We believe in strong customer care and in taking the time to make sure your house is completely rat-free. We’ll begin with an inspection. Not only will we determine the exact species of rodents in your home, but we can help you identify entry points or attracting factors. We then create a custom treatment plan that works for you. We have experience and tools to eliminate brown rats quickly and safely. What are you waiting for? Contact us today.

Knoxville’s Exclusive Guide to The Brown Rat in Knoxville TN

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