Rats have somewhat of a bad reputation – you may have heard the phrase that you’re never more than three metres away from one! Usually considered pests, rats have a reputation as being dirty creatures. While some people may view them as resourceful animals or even pets, rats are not something many of us want to have in – our near to – our homes.
Sewers – A Rat’s Safe Haven
Sewers are actually a rat’s ideal home. The dark underground tunnels of our sewage system provide rats with a safe haven away from humans who may try to catch or kill them. Sewers, of course, have an enormous footprint underneath our towns and cities, enabling rats to travel though the vast network of tunnels to reach new food sources whenever they need to.
Additionally, sewers are full of everything which humans have discarded – everything from discarded human food to waste products and decaying matter is present in sewers. Rats are able to survive on a varied diet, and what is our waste product is their ideal diet, according to experts at National Geographic.
What’s more, rats thrive in a warm, moist environment, and sewers fit the bill here too – they are neither too hot nor too cold, which is just how rats prefer the temperature to be.
Can Rats Live Anywhere Else?
Yes, rats are surprisingly versatile creatures and are actually very intelligent. They are also able to live in fields or disused buildings – and on occasion, try to take up residence in domestic properties. This is not something many of us want, so do get in touch with a specialist if you have any suspicions that rats are living in your drains. A CCTV drain survey Wolverhampton or any other location carried out by a specialist such as https://www.wilkinson-env.co.uk/drainage-services-cctv-surveys-midlands/cctv-drain-surveys/wolverhampton/ can identify this or any other problem within your house’s drainage system.
It’s important to remember that rats are nothing to be afraid of – they are not interested in being aggressive but simply surviving in their underground warren!
What makes rats so adaptable
Sewers suit rats partly because rats are far more capable animals than their reputation suggests. They are highly social, live in groups and care for wounded and sick members of their community. They also have excellent memories. Once a rat learns a route, it does not forget it, which helps explain how they find their way through miles of pipes.
Brown rats are strongly influenced by their peers, copying what other rats do even over their own experience, to the point of choosing poor food if the group is eating it. They are curious but cautious, and will escape a threat rather than face it.
Rats are surprisingly clean too, spending hours each day grooming themselves and each other. A rat can go longer without drinking than a camel, and its tail helps with balance, communication and controlling body temperature. Originally from Asia, the rat has spread worldwide because it can thrive in almost any habitat with enough food and water.