When spring is in the air many critters and wildlife have babies on the mind. Some critters only give birth once or twice a year while others seem to reproduce infinitely. When do rats breed and how many babies can be expected?
Rats do not have a specific breeding season. Rats will avoid breeding in colder weather but if they find shelter and warmth babies will soon follow. This makes attics, crawlspaces, garages and wall cavities attractive options for rat shelter.
Male rats are sexually mature between 6-10 weeks while females reach sexual maturity between 8-12 weeks. Rats gestate for a short 21-25 days. Females will give birth to 5-12 rats in a litter. Female rats have the ability to conceive immediately after giving birth. Females can be expected to have up to six litters a year. This means a female rat can birth 30-72 rats a year. Rat populations can boom from there.
The females in those litters are sexually mature in 1.5-3 months and can also begin reproducing. It’s estimated that two rats will produce over 1000 descendants in one calendar year. When it comes to mitigating rat populations proactivity and vigilance are key.
Rats will leave signs that they’re on site. Rats will enter cavities the size of their heads and squeeze the rest of their body through. Rats leave their feces along their paths of travel. They can often be heard scratching and gnawing in walls and attics. In some cases homeowners see them scurry across their living spaces. Sealing and securing a homes weak points against rat entry with routine follow ups will tremendously mitigate rat activity.
Rats do not have a dedicated breeding time. Rats only require a warm area and a mate. Their exponential growth can be attributed to their short time to sexual maturity, brief gestation period & frequency of litters/year. If rats are in a neighborhood homeowners should consider sealing their homes proactively. Contact the wildlife professionals at Critter Evictors for more information!