T.Dunne Pest Control Services

	Rodents are on the increase and sightings are very common during the daytime even though rodents are nocturnal, Young rats and mice need to establish their own nest sites within weeks of being born as their parents will be ready to mate again, Rodents can have between six and eight litters per year. Disease spread by rodents, salmonella spp, S.enteriditis, S. typhimurium and S. Dublin, theses are up to 25 % of rats and 18% of mice carrying those diseases. Listeria spp Rodents can pick up this pathogen on their feet, tails and fur. Escherichia coli about 40% of rodents pick up this pathogen on their body Cryptosporidium parvum 50 to 65% of rats were infected. Leptospira spp which is commonly known as Weils Diseases this symptom can be picked up through urine or contaminated soil.Hantaviruses are viruses which have been around for a long time, rats and mice carry this pathogen..

	History
	Rat catchers in the Victorian times had to hand catch the rats and place them inside their shirts until there was no more room, then transfer them still alive to the local public house to be sold, the entertainment in those days was betting on terriers to see how long it would take a Manchester terrier, or a small Staffordshire bull terrier To kill all the rats, the all time champion was a Staffordshire bull terrier called Billy the rat, His record was never beaten he accounted for 1000 rats within 55 minutes, Approximately 3 seconds per rat, do not approach or corner a rat because it will Attack with a painful bite
	Black rats also known as the roof rat were responsible for spreading the plague which wiped out one third of the European population. The black rat has now been isolated to the large ships and ports, as their bigger cousin the brown rat would not tolerate the black rat (RATTUS RATTUS.) The plague was spread by the rat flea and the human flea (pulex iritans) which has almost certainly become extinct.
	The fleas Were feeding from the rats then returning to feed on their host humans.
	The biggest rats found in England are the coypu which had escaped somewhere in Suffolk