Serving Chicago, Evanston, Naperville, and Oak Park, IL
Did you know that Norway Rats are the largest commensal rodent, or, a rodent that lives with and depends upon man for his existence? They are normally the only type of rat found in the Chicago area. They may be called alley rats, city rats, or river rats. In Chicago, most rats are truly Norway rats. They are common in the temperate zones of the world and can be found all over the Chicago area. They are 7 to 9 inches long, weighing 7 to 18 ounces. They can be identified by their blunt noses, small eyes and small ears. They have poor vision, but an excellent sense of hearing, touch, smell and taste. They are good climbers, swimmers, runners, and jumpers.
Norway Rats are wary by nature and are nocturnal. Outside, they burrow into the ground to create their nests. When inside, they nest in places where they and their offspring will remain hidden and undisturbed. Most adults live for less than a year and reach sexual maturity after only 2 months. Because their gestation period lasts about 23 days and their litters are usually between six to twelve the average female can produce over 100 offspring in her lifetime under ideal conditions and plentiful resources.
Norway Rats need 3/4 to 1 oz. of food per day and 1/2 to 1 oz. of water per day. Their droppings are blunt on one side and pointed at the other end. They produce 30-180 droppings and 1/2 oz. of urine per day. They usually need a separate fresh water source apart from the moisture they obtain from their food choices.
There are numerous health and damage issues connected with every rat problem. Rats are a vector for a number of diseases, bubonic plague which decimated Europe in the Middle Ages was attributable to rats and has been found in rodents in America in isolated situations in the last few years. In addition there are numerous heath issues that rats contribute to. The damage to structures that rats can do is considerable. They can undermine foundations and can cause fires through their gnawing behavior.
Now that you know more about the most common type of rat in Chicago, you’re more informed to make smarter choices about rat and rodent exterminators in Chicago.
Get Rid of Rats & Other Rodents with A-Alert Extermination in Illinois
In a general sense, while there are some very important differences between rats and mice we believe proper rodent control follows the same basic formula. The difference is in the application of techniques, not philosophy. At A-Alert, we believe that in order to properly eliminate your rodent problem, the client and pest control provider must work together:
- Eliminate the current rodent population.
- Identify the contributing factors involved in the issue and eliminate contributing issues.
- Identify the rodent entry points and repair the deficiencies to prevent future issues.
- Assess the external pressures to the structure and determine if a proactive rodent program is needed.
While the “formula” does not change, the application of principles does change from client to client. The application of our protocols is dependent upon how the rodents have adapted to your environment and the uniqueness of your situation. This includes taking into consideration any sensitive situations such as children or pets. Some companies favor the trapping of rodents. Some companies lean towards chemical solutions to rodent problems. We prefer to evaluate each situation individually. Normally we integrate multiple strategies to combat your issue successfully. As with all other aspects of pest control it is important to develop and implement a plan based on the uniqueness of your situation.The cost of eliminating rats and other rodents in Chicago varies significantly, based on your rat extermination needs. This is because we can’t quote a price for a 3 bedroom house infested by rats, in the same way as giving a cost estimate for a west side studio apartment that has only a couple of rats.
A-Alert: Your Source for Affordable Rat Extermination in Chicago
Successful rodent service is not a mystery; it is a combination of expertise, good old fashioned hard work, and client cooperation. Although many situations can be solved with a short-term program, some situations do call for some kind of ongoing service. For instance, if your building is located next to a foreclosed, dilapidated, rat infested building, continuing service would be necessary until the problem on the conjoining property is solved. Our attention to detail combined with our expertise have allowed our company to help thousands of clients through similar situations, and we are confident that we can do the same for you.
Call A-Alert today–our technicians and exterminators provide the best rat and rodent control in Chicago!