Rodents are viviparous mammals, i.e., the young develop inside the mother for about 19-22 days and when development is complete, the mother has her babies. The rodent pups are born without hair and the eyes and ears are closed. During the first weeks, the rodents are breastfed and in 2-4 weeks weaning occurs (depending on the species). Females usually give birth to about 4-12 pups every time they birth, about 20-35 offspring throughout their lives, which is usually about one year. The young sexually mature at 2-3 months. It is vital that you seek Pest Control in Bel Air MD before a rodent has her litter.
Rodents are territorial animals that live in colonies. Each colony has a dominant male, one or more females, several subordinate males and the young of recent litters. In this context, a constant struggle between young males and dominant males happen for possession of the territory. Rodents have a mostly nocturnal activity. Rodents tend to create burrows, especially rats. In the case of a common or sewer rat, they burrow underground so their population can grow and expand, connecting to other caches creating a complex network of underground tunnels. In the case of black or roof rat, burrows are usually located in trees, rafters, attics or hollow ceilings or walls and are rarely underground.
They feed on whatever they can, but each species often has its own preferences. Thus, mice have a preference for cereal grains, and the common rat has a preference for meat and the black rat for fruits, vegetables, grains and nuts. With its endless capacity to gnaw, rats and mice can spoil lots of food and construction elements of a building (electrical wiring, door frames, wooden structures, etc.). To avoid this, it is important to prevent the entry of rodents inside the building, blocking entrances and sealing cracks, however, small they may be.Rodents are very agile animals and can pass through very narrow openings. Thus, a mouse can pass through a hole of 6.7 mm (the diameter of a pencil) and a rat through a 20 mm hole. They are also good swimmers and good climbers and can climb up and down vertical downspouts. Click Here to learn more.
