In Toronto, rat removal is a highly sought-after service. After all, urban cities with big populations are a great place for rats to survive and thrive. Rats are generally nocturnal and like to avoid contact with humans. In Toronto and the GTA, most homeowners have had an increase in rat infestations leading more people to seek out rat removal, extermination, or just more information about rats.

• Rats are compassionate and social animals that often care for their sick and injured.
• Rats have a great memory and will never forget a route once they’ve learned it.
• Rats can go without water longer than a camel can.
• A rat’s teeth never stop growing, and may grow as much as 5 inches in one year.
• Their teeth tend to be strong enough to chew through cinder, lead, and even aluminum siding.
• Rats use their tails to communicate, regulate their temperature, and balance their body.
• Rats make sounds similar to laughter when they interact with their companions
• Some rats can tread water for up to 3 days, hold their breath for 3 minutes, and swim more than a mile in length
• Rats can reproduce every 3 weeks and begin to do so just 3 or 4 months after birth
• Some rats can be as heavy as a small house cat and reach more than 3 feet from nose to tail

When it comes to rat extermination in Toronto, Brilliex Pest Control & Wildlife Removal mainly deals with Norway rats and roof rats. Here’s a bit about each of these species.

Norway rats also known as sewer rats. They tend to be larger and more aggressive than roof rats. Usually, they nest in the basement portion of structures, but they also live in buildings, farms, and fields.

• There are cases of Norway rats attacking humans and pets.
• They carry diseases such as the bubonic plague.
• They chew electrical wiring which can cause fires.
• In the wild, Norway rats have a lifespan of around 2 years
• They have bristly brown fur mixed with black hair and a lighter underside
• Norway rats tend to leave capsule-shaped droppings behind which is one way to identify the species of rat you’re dealing with

They eat and urinate on stored food, and create a real health hazard to humans.

Roof rats, as their name suggests, like to be in high places like roofs, but they’re also called black rats or house rats. They’re typically smaller than Norway rats, but they can cause the same sort of issues for humans. Most roof rats are between 7 and 8 inches long, while a Norway rat is usually between 8-10 inches. However, roof rats have longer tails than Norway rats and their fur is usually black. They are nocturnal animals and like to forage for food in groups of up to ten. They often return to the same food source and can remember complicated routes from their nest to different food sources.

Do you think you might require rat removal in Toronto? Don’t wait until it’s too late and your rat problem becomes even worse.

Here are some of the telltale signs there might be rats on your property:

• Rat footprints, especially in dusty areas
• Teeth marks
• Gnaw holes
• Smudges — the grease and dirt on a rat’s body may leave marks on walls, etc.
• Rat droppings or urine puddles — a single rat can leave up to 40 droppings in one night
• A foul smell that you can’t identify, which is often from droppings or urine, but may also be from dead animals in and around your home

It’s best to contact professionals for rat extermination in Toronto. If you miss these signs for

yourself, you run the risk of being exposed to Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Leptospirosis, Rat-bite fever, and Salmonellosis.

If your home does not currently have a rat problem, it’s still wise to put some preventative measures in place to ensure they don’t arrive and cause a problem down the road.

• Use garbage bins that have tight-fitting lids to keep rodents out.
• Remove any debris around the house such as woodpiles and furniture.
• Eliminate any source of food, such as pet food, seeds, and fallen fruit from areas rats can reach.
• Fix broken and/or chewed garage doors that rats could enter through.
• Identify and address any entry points around your home (any hole or gap bigger than a quarter)
• Seal and secure any hole or openings with heavy gauge screening.

In Toronto, rat extermination is best left to the professionals at Brilliex Pest Control. Our technicians are licensed by the Ministry of Natural Resources to handle rodenticides. We always use the highest quality products to solve our client’s rat problems. Give us a call at 1-800-895-9226 for a free consultation over the phone today!