Harris County, Houston Rat Control Situation:
Dear Pest Control Agency, My name is Juan and I am working on my doctoral dissertation in Biology at Rice University, Houston, Texas. I have an undergraduate researcher who helps me with my research, and we both work in the laboratory of Prof. Michael. We have studied rats and mice in Europe, and we use the information to study a number of questions, including how rodent populations are connected between continents or within countries. One part of our work deals with the question of whether rats and mice in the US have developed resistance to rodent poisons, about which little is known. Our hope is that during pest control you will be able to obtain the tail tips (about 1 inch) of rats and mice that can be found at rodent infested sites. These could be collected from dead animals, and of course, we would send you everything you would need (scissors, tubes, gloves, prepaid shipping, etc.). If you decide to help us in our research, we would like to offer you a Domino's giftcard as a thank you for your efforts! We have received a large amount of support from a few pest control agencies so far. It would be wonderful if you would also consider helping us! Attached is a simple spreadsheet where a few details on the sampling are described. We do not need any specific information regarding locations where sampling was done, and no names of owners or of employees, etc. are needed. However, if you would like we would be more than happy to promote your company name in our research paper! Please feel free to contact us by email or phone if you have any other questions or concerns. Thank you so much for your consideration, and I hope to hear from you soon! Sincerely, Juan
Houston Rat Control Tip of The Week
Why Do Rats Chew On Wires?
Insulation, wires, straw, cardboard, paper, and different materials assist rodents with survival because they can utilize any of those things to build bigger homes, hone their teeth, and more.
Rats find it a lot simpler to chew wires, cable, wood, and even water warming pipes than most other materials because of their teeth. The chewing of wires and cables by rats has been identified as one of the main sources of blackouts in some homes. Out of these materials, wires appear to be the most attractive to rats and mice.
Why Do They Chew On Wires?
Let's review the most common issues relating to rats chewing on wires that some homeowners face every day:- Rodents don't go around searching for wires to chew on. They happen to get a kick out of the chance to stow away in places where other shrouded things are commonly found, for example, your home electric and security wiring system.
- One thing with wires is that they are all over the place, and rats have a nature to follow anything they can bite to keep their teeth from over developing. If they don't bite on wires, they will, in the long run, bite on everything else: glass, plastic, elastic, wood, aluminum, rock, and even concrete.
- Even though rats can chew anything, they love wire more when it comes to grinding their teeth. They can hold the wire as they chew, giving them more control. As you most likely know, rats and mice have sharp teeth, which keep growing unless they find a way to control the growth. This is why they choose wires.
- Keep in mind that rats and mice don't just chew on house wires. They also chew vehicle wires.
