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Quick answer: The Norway rat is a large, burrowing rodent common in sewers, basements, and low areas of cities like New York. Rats gnaw structures and wiring, contaminate food, and carry disease and ectoparasites. Getting rid of them requires exterior burrow treatment, exclusion (sealing gaps to about a half inch), sanitation, and trapping or baiting within regulations.
What do Norway rats look like?
Norway rats are robust rodents with a body 7 to 10 inches long plus a shorter, blunt tail, brown to gray fur, small ears, and a heavy build. They are much larger than mice. Compared with the roof rat, the Norway rat is heavier-bodied, has a tail shorter than its head-and-body length, and lives low to the ground.
Signs of a rat infestation
Rats leave clear signs: large capsule-shaped droppings with blunt ends, gnaw marks with rough, torn edges, greasy rub marks along established runways, burrows near foundations and in overgrown areas, and gnawing or scratching sounds. Active Norway rat burrows are smooth and greasy at the entrance.
Are Norway rats dangerous?
Yes. Rats contaminate food and surfaces, can transmit disease, and carry fleas and mites that can affect people. Their constant gnawing damages structures and wiring, creating fire and structural risks, and they can undermine foundations by burrowing.
Biology and behavior
Norway rats are burrowing, ground-dwelling rodents that need regular access to water and favor sewers, basements, and low, sheltered areas. They reproduce rapidly and are neophobic — wary of new objects — which is why pre-baiting (placing unset traps or non-toxic bait first) improves acceptance of traps and bait.
How to get rid of rats
Rat control is an integrated program: inspect and treat exterior burrows and entry points; exclude by sealing gaps up to about a half inch with gnaw-resistant metal mesh and installing tight door sweeps; reduce harborage and food outdoors (debris, dense vegetation, garbage); and trap or bait within label and local regulations, using tamper-resistant stations along travel paths. Because rats are wary, pre-baiting and proper placement along runways matter. Exclusion prevents re-entry so control lasts.
When to call a professional
Rats are wary, mobile, and quick to reproduce, and effective control means addressing both the exterior and the building envelope. A professional inspection finds burrows and entry points, applies the right combination of exclusion and control within regulations, and sets up ongoing prevention.
A Brooklyn-based, NYSDEC-registered company (Reg. #15140) led by Jorge Bedoya, an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE). For rats and mice, NYE provides rodent exclusion that seals the entry points, not just trapping. ACE-led work comes with a client portal of service reports and photos, fully bilingual service, and no long-term contract.
Norway rat FAQ
How do I know if I have rats?
Look for large capsule-shaped droppings with blunt ends, gnaw marks with rough edges, greasy rub marks along runways, burrows near foundations, and scratching or gnawing sounds. Droppings and burrows are strong indicators.
What is the difference between a Norway rat and a roof rat?
Norway rats are heavier, burrow, and favor low areas like sewers and basements, with blunt-ended droppings. Roof rats are more slender agile climbers found in attics and along overhead lines, with more pointed droppings and a tail longer than the body.
Are rats dangerous?
Yes. Rats contaminate food, can transmit diseases, carry fleas and mites, and gnaw wiring and structures, posing fire and damage risks.
How do you get rid of rats?
Combine exterior burrow treatment, exclusion (sealing gaps up to about a half inch with metal), sanitation to remove food and harborage, and trapping or baiting within regulations. Because rats are wary of new objects, pre-baiting can improve trap and bait acceptance.
How big a gap can a rat fit through?
A rat can enter a hole about a half inch across (roughly quarter-coin sized). Sealing openings this size and larger with gnaw-resistant metal is essential.
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