(WWJ) Canton Township officials are going door-to-door with flyers of information for residents to prevent a rat infestation.
The rodents are especially prevalent in the Windsor Park and Carriage Hills subdivisions—near Warren and 275, according to city officials.
Some residents reported as many as 30 rat trappings in the past few months.
Pest control companies believe new construction may be one of the main reasons for the rat troubles in Canton, as they’re getting pushed out of their natural habitat.
According to Healthline, rats rarely bite humans and will only do so if they feel “cornered or pressured” or when they feel their young are frightened.
About 14,000 rat attacks are reported per year in the U.S., according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Some fun facts about rats: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reports rats can swim for up to three days and apparently laugh. Their teeth grow about four inches per year (they have to gnaw them down by chewing on cinder block, aluminum, etc. to keep their teeth from piercing through their skull.). They reproduce every three weeks (approximately a dozen babies per month) and can go up to four days without eating.
Rats are sold and kept as household pets, but need a great deal of care. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) said it’s best to avoid wild rats as they can destroy property, crops and carry diseases. That includes salmonella, the potentially life-threatening hantavirus, and The Plague.
The EPA said you can deter rats and mice from setting up shop in your home by sealing holes to keep them out, eliminating nest areas like mulch and leaf piles, and cleaning up food and water sources. Full list here.
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