Pasyuk (gray barn rat) is the most unpleasant and widespread rodent. Daily colonies of these pests cause irreparable damage to agriculture, berry, forest plantations.
They can be dangerous for pets and for human health, as they are carriers of serious illnesses.
Gardeners need to be able to deal with them correctly and protect their territory from such unnecessary guests.
Description of rat pasuk
The animal belongs to the order of rodents and to the genus of mammals. It is considered the largest rat that lives in nature on the territory of Russia.
The main characteristics of the animal: the pasuk rat is a gray, ordinary, rat. It has an elongated body 20-27 cm long, weighs 150-400 g, tail length 19-21 cm. The legs are pink, clawed, skeletal. The barn rat has a wide muzzle and a light mustache. The ears are pointed with a pinkish tinge. The color of the fur is grayish, close to agouti, whitish belly. The boundary between the color of the barrels and the belly is clearly traced. The fur of young individuals is gray, a redhead slips in it with age. Sometimes in nature ordinary black rats are found. The hairs are quite stiff, have different lengths, the remaining hairs stand out - those that are more shiny and long.
Origin of the species
Scientists believe that this type of rat appeared in the eastern territory of China. They were brought to Europe on merchant ships via sea links between countries. The scientific name “Norwegian Rat” was acquired in 1769 due to the mistake of the British biologist John Birkenhout, who made a rash conclusion that rodents came to Denmark on industrial ships from Norway, although at that time they were not in that country.
Distribution and reproduction
In various parts of the world you can meet these rodents. They achieved wide distribution due to passive movement on merchant ships.
At the beginning of the 18th century, these rodents began to be found in every part of Europe, including Russia. Their habitat can be any part of the planet where there is water and food, as well as climatic conditions favorable for survival.
The barn rat is very fertile. It reaches puberty in three months. At the age of one year, it can give a brood of about 7-10 individuals. One can imagine how many offspring a year appear everywhere. Pasuk is considered one of the most prolific rodents on the planet.
Lifestyle
Common rats have a twilight lifestyle. The activity of these individuals is manifested from seven in the evening to eight in the morning, at ten in the evening there is a maximum peak. They can climb out of their shelters in the daytime, if there is any need for it. They live in colonies or groups, they aggressively protect their territory from strangers. Recognize members of their pack by smell.
Shelters in nature for them are: stumps, snags, holes, devastated nests. In an urban environment, they live most often in garbage dumps, in basements, landfills and sewers.
Nutrition
Food consists of plant foods, fish and meat, grain, any food waste. Many animals can envy the vitality and resilience of pasyuk. They have high adaptive capabilities, have flexibility of mind, perfectly swim and dive, jump up to 80 cm, reach speeds of up to 10-12 km / h.
Harm
Barn rats in the household do a lot of harm. Rodents drag and eat from barns crops of beans, beans, grain. Storage containers, crates, boxes, bags are put out of order, they chew on fruits and vegetables. In suburban garden areas, pests prefer to eat vegetables, berries, fruits, plant roots and garden flowers.
Gray rats gnaw through the walls of barns, buildings, spoil furniture, wires. After their teeth, not only does the appearance of the living space become aesthetic, damage to the wiring can lead to short circuits and fires.
Not only for human health is a rat a danger. Often there are cases when rodents attack domestic animals.
Ways to fight rodents
Consideration should be given to the most effective and best means of controlling rats to kill them.
A large number of toxic substances are sold in specialized stores. Varieties of poisons can be divided into strong and weak. The first category includes zinc phosphate and phosphide. This is a fast-acting poison. When it enters the stomach, it reacts with hydrochloric acid, due to which phosphorous hydrogen is formed, which stops breathing. To destroy the rat, a three percent concentration of poison is suitable. The plus is that if other animals eat the poisoned rat, it will not cause poisoning in them.
Long-acting poisons are more suitable for controlling small rodents. It will take a long time until enough matter accumulates in the body to destroy the animal. The organism of a gray rat is resistant to poison, and this can become addictive, so the type of substance will have to be changed from time to time.
How to use poison
The main methods of use include:
- Poisons, which are impregnated with a delicacy: bread, cheese, pieces of meat, grain. This method is the most effective in the common.
- Chemicals are also dissolved in water, milk - liquid bait.
- Powder chemicals. They pollinate the exit from the burrow and other places where gray rats can be seen.
- Gaseous chemicals. They can be used for irrigation of holes, but this method is used with caution, especially in rooms where people live.
Mechanical traps
It is not necessary to charge the mousetrap at full strength, the rat needs to get used to the left treat. In this case, she will not suspect that soon the trap will work and shut.
Arrangement of mousetraps is the easiest way, but unreliable. In size, the barn rat is larger than a vole, so a simple standard mousetrap is not suitable for it. In addition, after the capture of the rodent and its successful escape, 1/2 of the rats will not come back even for the most exquisite bait.
Ultrasonic Repellers
This method is quite effective. Ultrasonic waves adversely affect the psyche of rodents, which forces them to leave the territory they had previously settled. But to achieve a good result, the device must work on an ongoing basis. In addition, when buying a device, it is necessary to consider what size territory it will be used for and what is the duration of the emitted wave. For sheds and barns, a standard universal repeller is suitable. If the device will have to be installed in a larger area, you need to purchase several devices.
Track overlap
In order to get rid of rats in a barn or a house, you can use another good way - blocking the paths. To do this, it is necessary to calculate all the moves and paths along which the rat makes his way into the house and sprinkle calcium chloride next to them, these animals cannot tolerate it. Even rat loopholes and passages are covered with cement with crushed glass, it will be extremely difficult to bite through such a wall.
If a rat is wound up, all means are good for fighting it. To achieve an effective result, you should not dwell on any particular method, but it is better to combine them or change them periodically. And do not drag out the destruction of rats, so as not to aggravate the situation.