Five things you never knew about rats

Given the high profile media campaigns aimed at making Britain tidier – and less rat infested – in recent years, many of us will know the basics about this nastiest of vermin. They like warm, damp places. They’ll keep returning to somewhere with a regular food source. They can fit through small gaps in walls and around pipes. They’re most households’ worst nightmare.

If these things weren’t enough to make you consider how pest control insurance could come in useful in the unfortunate event of an infestation, what about the dirty little secrets about rats you didn’t know?

Here we’ve compiled the five facts about rats you never knew – or were at least to too scared to ask.

1. Poor eyesight, excellent smell

Rats are crepuscular, meaning they are usually at their most active at dawn and dusk when light is scarce at parts of the year. This is perhaps because their eyesight is poor – in fact, they’re colourblind. However, to compensate for this they have a good sense of smell and taste, meaning they’re adept at sniffing out their next meal.

2. They usually live less than a year…

Sadly, the average rat usually has little more than a year of life to look forward to – so if they were capable of long-term planning it’d ultimately be a bit pointless.

3. …but they’re early starters reproductively

Rats can usually reproduce within six weeks of being born – and given that they can have up to five litters of six to 14 young per year, it’s not hard to see why the rat population continues to grow, despite their short lifespan.

4. They’re good climbers and swimmers

It’s common to mistake rats for water voles, as they are reasonably good swimmers. Keep this in mind if you decide to live near a river or canal – this could well be the place from which the vermin start their journey into your home. Rats are also good climbers, meaning they’ll make light work of a drainpipe. Therefore, secure both ends of yours with a gone guard and wire mesh balloon.

5. Rats’ teeth grow constantly

That gnawing sound you can hear in the middle of the night? That could well be a rat wearing down its teeth on a hard surface. If further investigation reveals a rat infestation, then it’ll be time to put a call into your pest cover provider (if you’ve got one) or give your local exterminator a ring.