Appearance:
Norway rats are usually have coarse brownish or reddish-gray fur, and are whitish-gray on the belly. Some may be blackish in color. Their nose is blunt and have small, close-set ears and a scaly, fairly short tail.

Size:
Ranging from 1-1 and ½ feet in length, including the tail, and weigh about one pound.

Behavior:
A Norway rat will eat nearly any type of food. When available, they favor fresh, wholesome items over stale or contaminated foods. They prefer cereal grains, meats and fish, nuts, and some types of fruit and will readily feed on household garbage. Rats require 1/2 to 1 ounce of water daily when feeding on dry foods but need less when moist foods are available. They use their keen sense of smell to locate food items and to recognize other rats.

Norway rats are primarily nocturnal, though may become active when there is a large population, during bad weather or if their food source is threatened. They have poor eyesight and are colorblind, and depend on their excellent sense of smell, taste and touch, and especially their sense of sound, the frequency of which is greater than that of humans. They also use their sensitive body hairs and whiskers to navigate and prefer to move along walls. Their sense of taste is excellent and they can sense contaminants, which can lead to bait rejection.

Female Norway rats are prolific breeders, and may come into heat every 4 or 5 days, and they may mate within a day after a litter is born. The average female rat has 4 to 6 litters per year, which can reach maturity as early as 8 weeks, and may successfully wean 20 or more offspring annually.

Habitat:
The Norway rat is found generally at lower elevations but may be found wherever humans live. They burrow to make nests under buildings and other structures, beneath concrete slabs, around ponds, in garbage dumps, and various other locations where food, water, and shelter are present.

Norway rats usually construct nests in burrows at or below ground level. Nests may be lined with shredded paper, cloth, or other fibrous material. Although they can climb, Norway rats tend to inhabit the lower floors of multi-story buildings. Their presence indoors can be detected by droppings, urine stains, or signs of fresh gnawing. Tracks can be seen in sand and on dusty surfaces.

Medical and Economic Significance:
The Norway rat inhabits sewers and can carry pathogens; they are also known to be a conduit for bubonic plague (transmitted to man by the bite of a flea or other insect), endemic typhus fever, and other diseases. They also contaminate food-preparation areas and transmit disease by their droppings, urine, bites, and from the fleas and mites in their fur.

Control:
Poor sanitation and the presence of garbage help rats to survive in residential areas. Good sanitation can effectively limit the number of rats that can survive in and around the home, as well as eliminating possible nesting sites. Store bulk foods, bird seed and dry pet food in tight-fitting containers. Keep in mind that good sanitary practices will not eliminate rats under all conditions, but will make the environment less suitable for them to thrive.

Seal any openings larger than 1/4 inch to exclude both rats and mice. Openings where utility pipes enter buildings should be sealed tightly with metal or concrete.Seal all vents and openings with concrete or heavy-duty metal screening. Equip floor drains and sewer pipes with tight-fitting grates with openings less than 1/4 inch in diameter. Doors, windows and screens should fit tightly; it may be necessary to cover edges with sheet metal to prevent gnawing.

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