Brown rats are gray, brown or black, with small eyes and ears. Their body can reach up to 25cm in length, with an additional 21cm for the tail (always shorter than the body, unlike mice). Adult male rats weigh up to 400g and adult females up to 250g.
Rats are extremely destructive, causing problems such as electrical fires from gnawing on wiring & contamination of food products. Rats are notorious for the transmission of diseases, such as the Bubonic plague, typhus fever and Salmonella.
Rat treatments depend on the location, the level of infestation, and the presence of non-target species in the area. Rat control may include the use of rodenticides, spring traps, cages, sewer valves, building proofing, bait stations, etc.