Gray rat

The gray rat or pasyuk is the most common species on the earth, belonging to the suborder of the mouse-like. These rodents are familiar to everyone, because they always live close to human habitation or the waste of its activities.

Appearance, origin

The appearance of the rat recognizable enough. Like other species, the gray granary rat has an oval-shaped body 20-27 cm long, weighing up to 400 g, and a bald tail, which is sometimes the same length as the whole animal.The muzzle is wide, but slightly elongated, the mustache is almost white. Her coat may have different shades of grayish color: reddish-brown, muddy-buff or agouti, belly is usually lighter (see photo of gray rat below).

Pasyuk

According to biologists, the birthplace of these rats is East China, from where they spread several centuries ago, thanks to the continuous maritime trade between China and Europe. In the 18th century, the gray rat mistakenly received another name, the Norwegian rat, which was given to it by the English biologist J. Berkenhout, suggesting that the animal had entered Europe from Norway.

Over the past centuries, gray rats have spread throughout the world, with the exception of only mainland Antarctica, where it is too cold and the hot African deserts, where there is no water and it is hot. They live everywhere where there is a source of water, they quickly adapt to different climatic conditions.

Nutrition and reproduction

Gray or basement rats are predominantly nocturnal: they have a peak of activity from 7 pm to 8 am. However, if necessary, leave the burrows during the daytime. Their shelters are: snags and stumps, burrows located in places where they find food for themselves. Most often, this landfill, basements, cellars, sewers in the city and surrounding areas.

Interesting!

They live in colonies of up to 30 individuals, protecting their territory from the encroachments of alien individuals. Each flock defines its own specific smell. In each group there is a dominant strong male. Each member of the colony searches for food independently.

The main food of gray rats: meat and fish, grain, as well as food waste. With a shortage of food they can eat hay, weeds, bark, paper, carrion, rotten vegetables and fruits. In addition, their teeth are arranged in such a way that they constantly need to gnaw something in order to grind them, otherwise too long teeth interfere and cause them discomfort.

A hungry weed rat is capable of becoming a predator, attacking small animals. According to some reports, they contributed to the destruction of certain species of birds, when, once on the remote Pacific islands, they began to feed only on bird eggs from nests.

Grow rapidly, already in 3 months the rats are able to reproduce offspring. Rodents rapidly multiply due to high fecundity: according to statistics, one female can have 8 broods per year, each of which gives birth to 10 small rats (see the Pasyk rat in the photo with the babies).

Rat with rats

Interesting!

In nature, gray rats very easily adapt to any conditions, dive and swim well, have a sharp mind, are able to reach a height of 80 cm in the jump, can move around the area at a speed of up to 12 km / h.

Harm to agriculture

Gray rats are very common in the countryside, where they can get plenty of food on the fields planted with grain. They like to settle in suburban areas: in country houses and kitchen gardens, in cellars and sheds, in the territories of parks and private suburban houses. Here they find their food sources, not disdaining garbage and even animal feces.

For such taste preferences rats are carriers of dangerous infections for humans: plague, rabies, brucellosis, hepatitis, leptospirosis and many other diseases.

Harm from rats

They cause very significant damage to farms:

• destroy part of the harvest of grain and legumes, vegetables and fruits;
• spoil the boxes and bags in which the crop is stored;
• dragging and eating in the gardens of the underground parts of plants and flowers, vegetables, berries and fruits;
• climbing into the house, gray rats gnaw through holes in the walls of household and residential premises, ruin furniture, gnaw through electrical wires, and may even cause a fire when the electrical wiring is closed;
• rats can attack humans and pets.

Every year, rodents destroy around the world several million tons of grain crops, when attacking people they cause infectious complications and diseases, sometimes causing accidents and disasters.

Important!

But there is a great benefit from these animals: they are very important in scientific research, because It is they who are used by man to conduct annually a million experiments in medicine and anatomy, as a result of which many of them die in the name of science and the future health of people.

Rodent control

When at least one gray rat appears in the house, you should fight with it as quickly as possible, until it has bred its offspring. Then in the house there will be many small and unpleasant pests.

Methods of dealing with rats

For the destruction of rodents people use many ways, the most popular and effective of which:

• The use of toxic substances sold in specialized stores. One of the widely used poisons for rats - zinc phosphide, acting quickly enough. When it enters the stomach, it reacts with the gastric juice, forms phosphorous hydrogen, which paralyzes the respiratory organs of the animal.Its advantage is safety for other animals that can eat a poisoned rodent. Apply poison by mixing it with any delicacy: grain, bread, meat.
• Using traps and rat traps is one of the easiest ways in which a gray rat, trying to get the bait, is slammed by the trap mechanism. The disadvantage of this method is associated with the intelligence and cunning of rodents: after getting into rat trap several individuals, the rest will not climb.
• Ultrasonic scarers - one of the modern effective methods, based on the negative impact of ultrasonic waves on the nervous system of rodents, forcing them to run away from such a device. Ultrasonic rat repeller can be installed in residential premises, in cellars, garages and suburban areas. It should be borne in mind that the device should work constantly and acts only on a certain territory, therefore, if gray rats live too well on a large area of ​​a country house, then they will have to install several ultrasound devices.
• One of the most effective ways to deal with rats in an apartment is to search for and block all paths and moves along which a basement rat can penetrate.All cracks and loopholes must be covered with a solution of cement and crushed glass, and powder of calcium chloride, which rodents do not tolerate, must be poured into the holes.

If gray rats are bred in the house, then several methods of dealing with them should be used at once, because these animals are very cunning and resourceful. Extermination of rats by specialized services combines the use of mechanical devices and toxic substances. Only the use of integrated measures will help get rid of rodents in the shortest possible time.