Last updated: January 2016 Site Created by: Andre Chagljevich
The Norway rat is larger, stronger, more aggressive, and better adapted for surviving the climate of Toronto than the roof rat and other rat species. Although, recently the roof rat has been identified in Toronto. The Norway rat is a large rodent that may weigh in excess of 500 grams. The head and body are seven to ten inches long, and the tail is an additional six to eight inches
Adults are sexually mature within two to five months. Females produce three to six litters per year, each averaging seven to eight young. Adults live from six to twelve months. They have poor site, but keen senses of smell, taste, hearing, and touch.
Norway rats are extremely adaptive and now thrive comfortably in densely populated cities. . Norway rats prefer to nest in burrows in the soil (i.e. under sidewalks and concrete pads, streams/riverbanks, railroad truck beds, next to buildings, in low ground cover, etc). The burrows typically have one main entry hole and at least one escape hole. Inside, they live in basements, crawlspaces, attics and sewers.
The keys to a successful program of rodent control are identification,
sanitation, elimination of harborage, and rodent-proofing. Several
anticoagulant rodenticides are available in various forms.
Target Pest Control technicians are trained to identify potential
entry points and conditions which may have led to the rat infestation
as well as eliminating the rat already inside your home or business.