by Dave Volpe, Bergenfield Health Officer
There is only one type of rat that you will find in Bergen County, and that is the Norway rat (which isn't from Norway either!). The size of this rodent is often exaggerated due to many people's fear of rats. Norway rats do not grow "as large as a cat." If you see an animal that size, you are probably looking at an opossum or a muskrat.
They do have the ability to multiply rapidly. The good news is that there have been neither disease related outbreaks from rats in recent memory nor any reports of rats attacking humans here in Bergen County in many years.
Rats have been become well established in all suburban and urban environments around the entire planet. There is currently no permanent solution that is technologically available to totally eradicate them so the best we can do is to try and "control" the rat population.
In Bergen County, rats will tend to live naturally near water such as streams, rivers, lakes, and ponds. Rain that falls onto our streets drain into the streams through an underground "storm water" system providing rats with an highway throughout suburbia.
When a rat decides to leave a body of water or storm water drain we say that it is "attracted" to the residential or commercial property. An exterminator or a health inspector investigating a rat complaint will start by looking for the "attracting nuisance(s)" that caused the problem. The environment has to be modified so that the rats do not re-infest the area.
Rats need three things to survive away from their natural environment; they need food, a water source, and a place to live (harborage). The number one attracting nuisance for rats is food and the number once source of food for rats in open garbage cans and dumpsters. Once they have a steady source of food, they will dig a hole (burrow) nearby and search for a steady water source, which may be a swimming pool, clogged gutter, container of rain water, etc. Rats rarely live very far from their food source; therefore, it makes the investigator's job a little easier when searching for burrows.
There are things that a homeowner can do to reduce the risk of having a rat move onto their property or use their property as a food source:
- Provide tight fitting lids on garbage cans. Avoid placing garbage at the curb in plastic bags (use the cans!).
- Bird feeders must be spill-resistant and elevated off the ground. Rats love bird seed! They will even raid sheds and garages for grass seed. Bird seed and grass seed can be stored in rodent proof containers.
- Refrain from throwing food on the ground (e.g. bread) to feed wild animals such as squirrels and pigeons.
- Never feed feral (outdoor) cats. The Health Department has even found rats eating from the bowls of dogs which are fed outside.
- Remember that rats love fresh vegetables. This usually becomes a problem when the local gardens begin producing. Keep a close watch at this time.
- Fruit trees sometimes become a problem when the fruit falls to the ground, but hungry rats will even climb trees to get the fruit.
- A properly maintained compost pile should have low odors and should not provide rats with food. Proper composting articles can be easily found online (Google it!).
- Outdoor animal cages such as rabbit hutches are often associated with rat problems because the rabbit droppings as well as the rabbit pellets are digestible for rats. Rats will even eat dog feces if starving.
- Avoid providing rats with easy harborage on your property. They are somewhat lazy about digging their burrows and will look for ready made homes such as a pile of broken concrete, an abandoned car, or other household items stored for long periods outdoors.
- High grass or weeds sometimes provides a cozy and more private environment for rats to burrow. Maintain lawns at no more that 8-inches in height.
- Make sure that the seal at the bottom of your garage door is tight, particularly in the fall when rats will look for a warm place to over-winter.
- People living within 100 yards of a stream, brook, or pond have to extra vigilant because rats already have a constant water source.
- Finally, remember that although a vacant lot or unoccupied house can provide harborage for rats, they still need the other two things to survive: food and water.
The Bergenfield Health Department strongly recommends hiring a professional pest control operator to exterminate rats on private property. There have been too many cases of non-target animals being poisoned by people attempting their own rat control. Even the use of "snap-traps" can injure non-target animals and even children.
A professional will use locked "bait stations" or will identify the location of the rat hole and place the rat bait directly into the hole. Many towns such as Bergenfield will exterminate rats along the streams, parks, other public properties, and in the storm drain system. The Health Department can also provide technical assistance for a rat problem since rats are extremely resourceful and each situation can vary.
For questions or additional information, you can contact the Bergenfield Health Department at 201-387-4055 Ext. 5.