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How Smart Are Rats?

We love to personify rodents in our media and culture. This is nothing new and can be found in very old fables. This should not be a surprise considering how intertwined human and rodent histories are. We like to pretend that rats and mice can be more like us than they are, but just how smart are rats?

How Smart are Rats? Smarter Than You May Think

Many people think that rodents are creatures of low intelligence. This actually is not the case. Both rats and mice are known to be highly intelligent, and this is one reason that they are able at times to seemingly outsmart humans to get what they want when it comes to food, water and harborage. Many people want to attribute trap and bait avoidance to luck, but there is more to it than that.

Rats Using Tools?

Unbelievably, yes! There have been studies that have shown that rats will not only use tools to acquire food or other items but can actually “pick the right tool for the job”. A 2017 study showed a rat in a lab setting with a barrier blocking food. The rat was given a small, rake-like tool. The barrier was set up so the rat had to actually manipulate the tool in order to get over the barrier to get at the food. Pretty amazing!

A Mouse is No Slouch

A couple of crafty characteristics that mice possess are their ability to easily climb almost any surface, and the ability to contort their bodies to squeeze into openings as small as the diameter of a nickel. These both give mice a great advantage when it comes to finding ways to enter a home or business, usually undetected.

In order to stay ahead of the smart rodent, building maintenance and home owners have to stay on top of inspections and exclusion work. Each season inspect

  • weatherstripping
  • construction joints
  • window & door frames
  • foundation
  • pipes
  • gas lines
  • wiring entrances
  • low traffic points

It’s Good to Have a Plan

Whether it’s rats or mice, having a plan in place to keep them out is the best option to avoid a potential infestation. The professionals at Rove Pest Control can create a customized plan to get rid of any of these furry invaders that may already be or plan to be inside, as well as exclusion work to make sure that no more are able to enter your home or business.