Rats are a nuisance because they can eat and foul our food, damage homes by chewing through electrical wire insulation, wooded floor boards and even plastic waste pipes. Rats can also create illness because their feces can cause food poisoning. Rats can also carry fleas and mites. In addition, they can carry leptospirosis, which can lead to liver failure, and hantavirus, which can cause respiratory illness. The common rat (Rattus norvegicus), also known as the brown rat or sewer rat, is the most abundant and widespread species and is found throughout the United Kingdom. All that a rat needs to thrive is shelter, food and water.
