Rats will quite frankly be unwanted guests in most people’s homes. In Denmark, you have to report to the authorities, if you discover rats, regardless of whether you see a rat at home, in your garden, or at work. Rats can be the carrier of no less than 50 diseases. Read more about how to find signs of rats in this blog post.
Facts about rats
It may be a good idea to start out with a few facts about rats. In Denmark, you will often encounter a brown rat, which also goes by the name ‘Rattus norvegicus’. The brown rat is exceptionally good at adapting to different environments in regard to food and living conditions. With teeth growing about 1 cm every month, rats can easily bite through most materials. The fact that the brown rat is omnivorous comes therefore as no surprise.
Even in the times of the COVID-19 crisis, the rats have adapted faster than most of us, and some rats have even begun moving into the working offices, which have been empty as a consequence of the global pandemic.
Read more about how to look for signs of rats at your working place
5 ways to identify rats
In Denmark, if you happen to discover rats nearby, you have to report it to a pest control company, and allow them to combat the rats, because you are not authorized to combatting rats yourself. In the case of mice, you are allowed to catch them by means of traps, but not in the case of rats.
You have to report to the authorities, if you see a rat in Denmark
How can you know for sure, what type of small, fuzzy guests have decided to stop by, if you have not seen them? Here is a list of five ways to identify rats:
1) Rat scratching and gnaw marks. Rats shriek, squeak and make noises when gnawing and they might gnaw on items or wires.
2) Rats stink. Rats often leave a certain smell of ammonia wherever they go. The smell can be described as a mix of sewer and pigsty, and you should therefore be careful if you notice a smell like this.
3) Rat droppings. Rats or mice? Rat droppings are bigger and often more hidden than excrements from mice.
4) Rat grease marks. Dirt from a rat’s body might leave marks on surfaces, so if you notice smudges on surfaces, it might be from a rat running by.
5) Notice uneven tiles outdoor. If you see sunken tiles or asphalt outdoor it may be a rat revealing itself.
Are you sure, there are not any signs of rats in your house?
Sources:
- Høy, M. L., & Danborg-Aamand, N. (2018, September 11). Sådan undgår du, at en rottefamilie flytter ind.
- Grønbæk, M., & Danborg-Aamand, N. (2017, May 2). Undgå at mus og rotter kommer ind i din bolig.
- Rentokil. (n.d.). How to prevent rats. Retrieved March 29, 2021, from https://www.rentokil.co.uk/rats/prevention/
- British Pest Control Association. (n.d.). Keeping pests at bay in Covid-19 pandemic.
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