Knoxville Rat Removal Tip: Do more rats live in urban areas, or wild areas?

Rats are very small creatures, averaging approximately one pound in weight. Their small size makes them an easy target for predators in wild areas, hence the reason why they usually live in urban areas, because they are likely to survive longer.

In wild areas, animals would mark their territory, the larger ones hunting for smaller animals, tracing them through its scent. Since rats urinate and poop practically everywhere, even where they make their nests, it is very easy for other larger animals, to pick up their trail and locate them very quickly. Rats live in large groups, so it is very difficult for them to live in a safe area in the wild as their scent as a group is more noticeable than the scent of a single rat living alone.

In urban areas, rats live in many different areas, depending on their species and the safety of its group. Black rats tend to live in low areas such as underground in the sewer, in subways and on ground floors. They are very good swimmers as well, being able to thread water for up to 3 days. This means that they can survive being flushed down the toilet! These were the rats you see on ships long ago, travelling from land to land and spreading diseases such as the Black Plague.

A more common species of rat is the Roof Rat. These live in high areas such as the top of buildings and in attics. They are agile climbers but not very good swimmers. Home owners have to be very careful because these rats often seek shelter in homes. Homes provide shelter from nature as well as from other predators. Usually, these rats seek shelter in attics to nest and give birth and if nothing is done about the situation, the population can significantly multiply as rat's mate very regularly, almost as much as 5 to 15 times a year and giving birth to litters between 6 to 12 babies.

Since more rats live in urban areas, it is not commonly associated with the animals of the wild. A fun history fact to note is that long ago, when the black plague came, everyone in the United States were getting sick except the Jews. The people started accusing the Jews of sending the plague but after further investigation, it was found that because it was the Jews rituals of cleanliness, example, washing their hands before they eat, they were very unlikely to fall prey to the illness like the others. In today's era, there are as much as one rat to one person in the United States alone.

Rats bring with it many diseases that are both transferable through bodily fluids and airborne. It is very unhealthy to have rats living in your home as you would never know which rats are infected from which are not, unless you have them tested. Since they multiple so quickly, they are often used as lab rats, where pharmaceutical companies and scientists administer drugs on them.