Six Facts to Help Prepare Your Rodent Defense

Rodents are some of the most disgusting and destructive pests, and they have a pretty impressive rap sheet to prove it. Extremely adaptable and quick to reproduce, rodents can be difficult to control, making them a nightmare for your business.

It’s no secret that you don’t want rodents scurrying around your property, but just how much do you know about these common pests?

Get one step ahead these vile vermin by studying up on these interesting rodent facts:

• Rodents make up 40 percent of the mammals worldwide.

  The Norway rat, roof rat and house mouse originated in Asia and now occupy most of the Earth.

• Rats’ teeth can grow five inches in a year, so they constantly gnaw to keep them trimmed down.

  And they can really bite into business – their jaws can exert up to 7,000 pounds per square inch.

• Rats and mice eat or contaminate 20 percent of the world’s food.

  To give you an idea of how that impacts your business, just 50 rats can consume 23 pounds of food in a week.

• There’s a reason rats and mice are a hot topic.

  One in four fires are thought to be caused by rodent damage to electrical wires.(Learn more about the consequences of rodent infestations.)

• House mice can run at speeds topping eight miles per hour, and Norway rats can tread water for three days straight.

  These rodents know how to get around. Rats can squeeze through holes the size of a quarter, and mice can fit through holes as small as a dime.

Sources:

1. https://www.sciencedaily.com/terms/rodent.htm Robert M. Corrigan, “Rodent Control.”

2. Bayard F. Bjornson, Harry D. Pratt, Kent S. Littig, “Control of Domestic Rats & Mice.” http://mentalfloss.com/article/86940/11-beady-eyed-facts-about-rats

3. https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/pressroom/newsreleases/2013/april/reducing-waste-of-food-a-key-element-in-feeding-billions-more-people.html

4. http://www.idph.state.il.us/envhealth/pcmunicipal_rodents.htm

5. https://www.fws.gov/pacificislands/publications/Ratsfactsheet.pdf

For more information on how to help prevent rodents in your facility, download our rodent ebook or schedule a free inspection with an Orkin Pro™.