Whether you’re dealing with an active rat infestation or just a homeowner looking for knowledge, it’s important that you learn about rats, how long they live and their life cycle.
Most wild rats live for between 1 and 2 years, while pet rats tend to live to around 2-4 years. While wild rats have the capability to live longer, they tend to be killed by environmental factors, such as bad weather or predators, meaning they have a shorter life span than their domestic counterparts.
Still, even during this comparatively short life, rats can cause significant damage to homes and commercial properties.
That’s why Essex Pest Proof, as experts providing rat control services across Southend, Chelmsford, Billericay, Basildon and throughout Essex, have put together this guide to help you understand the rat life cycle and the damage rats can do.
The Rat Life Cycle
In the UK, the most common species of pest rats are brown rats, although black rats are also found near water and can make their way inside homes and businesses. While they might have a short life expectancy compared to humans, rats reproduce rapidly and reach sexual maturity at a young age.
As social animals, rats typically scout out areas with shelter, food and water, then use pheromone trails to tell other rats that the area is safe. Once more rats join them, they will start the life cycle, and before long what started as one rat can become many rats, causing a significant problem.
Pregnancy
A female rat carries her babies, also known as ‘pups’, for a gestation period of 21-24 days. She can have between 6 and 18 young in a litter. Rats are mammals, meaning they give birth to their babies from their womb and provide milk for them.
Birth
At birth, baby rats are hairless and have poor eyesight, meaning they need full care from their mother. They mature earlier than many other species, including humans. After giving birth, the mother will raise her young for around 6 weeks, before they are old enough to leave the nest, feeding them on milk.
Young Rats
Rats typically leave the nest to explore at as little as 2 weeks old, but aren’t fully weaned until 6 weeks. After this time, they can eat solid food, including grains, vegetables, lean meat and seeds. Young rats reach sexual maturity at a young age, with female rats becoming sexual active at as little as 5 weeks old. Males mature later, at around 8-10 weeks old.
Adulthood
Once they have reached sexual maturity, rats will start to reproduce. They don’t mind breeding with relatives, including their brothers and sisters or other offspring. They will also feed on almost anything throughout your home, thanks to their varied diet, and chew almost constantly to keep their incisors at the right size. As such, the pose significant health risks while living inside homes, commercial properties or public buildings.
How Often Do Rats Reproduce?
Rats can reproduce rapidly, as a female rat can get pregnant again almost immediately after giving birth. She can then gestate and give birth while nursing her first litter.
Average rats tend to have between 5 and 10 litters a year, which means they could potentially have hundreds of pups.
As such, just two rats inside your property could quickly produce a major rat infestation that overwhelms your space and causes potential public health issues.
What To Do If You See Signs Of Rats
As you can see, rats live for just 1 to 2 years in the wild, but during that time they reproduce rapidly. Rats also spread diseases, including leptospirosis, Weil’s disease, rat-bite fever, hantavirus and even plague.
When they make their way inside your home or business premises, rats can quickly cause structural damage by chewing almost constantly, which is required to keep their teeth the right size. In some cases, rats can become a fire hazard by chewing through live electrical wiring.
So, as soon as you notice signs of a rat infestation, you need to act fast. At Essex Pest Proof, our RSPH Level 2 certified pest control experts have the skills and equipment needed to carry out fast, effective rat control.
