Westchester County, Westchester Rat Control Situation:
HI FROM WESTCHESTER COUNTY NY. DESPERATELY NEED YOUR HELP. ALMOST every night rats come into our motor home under the hood. SOME nights they eat 2 or 3 blocks of poissen other nigh they eat 8 or 9 blocks of poison. IF its on the market we have probably tried it. THEY chew up the wires and everything under the hood. SO far all we can do is just keep putting out more poissen. THE neighbor has many bird feeders out so he is just feeding the rats. HE just laughed when I talked to him. WE are the only ones on the block seemingly bothered with them. WE live close to farms in this area. PLEASE is there anything we can do to keep them off this property? WE ARE DESPERATE. THANK YOU
Hi David, I was just on your site and I really, really wish we had some companies in this area that will help 'resolve' the problem once and for all, rather than come back and keep charging me insane prices to trap my rats and tell me they have no idea how they're getting in my house!! I've cut down my hedge, and done numerous other things to keep them away, but they still come back. Other than rip the vinyl siding off my house (covers up the old stucco) to find out where the little devils are coming in, I'm lost in Victoria Any help or suggestion you may be able to offer would be so appreciated. PS: I love your website - very thorough
Westchester Rat Control Tip of The Week
New York City's Rat Problem
The Norway Rat:
The majority of rats in New York City are Norway rats, otherwise known as brown rats. Brown rats typically weigh 1 pound and they can grow up to 16 inches long. A brown rat needs just 1 ounce of food and water every day to survive.
Agile Creatures:
Brown rats are known for their ability to climb through pipes and get through small spaces. Even though some of the largest brown rats can be up to 20 inches long and weigh more than 2 pounds, it's easy for them to fit through a hole that's the size of a quarter. Rats have some serious superpowers and are capable of falling up to five stories without any injury and leaping up to 4 feet for climbing.
Going Through Any Material:
Rats also have extremely strong jaw muscles and quality teeth. There are rats in New York that are capable of chewing through cinderblocks and sewer pipes.
Where Rats Live:
Most rats will rarely travel more than 600 feet away from the area that they were born. Most rats like to nest and burrow in soft ground as well as below ground to live in colonies. A rat colony is usually between 30 to 50 rats and the number of rats in a burrow or family is usually between 8 to 12. Rats stay close to their food source and they can often be found just a few hundred feet from where they go every day to be fed. Public garbage areas, alleyways, and more can be a hotbed for rats and NYC produces its own information portal on areas where rats are heavily concentrated.
Massive Population:
It's estimated that there are roughly 2,000,000 rats in New York City and this means that the rat population in New York City sits around 25% of the total number of humans.