If you have ever used a sticky type rat or mouse trap you have likely encountered a gruesome site once it has made its catch. Once trapped on these types of torture devices, rats and mice are known for attempting to do just about anything to free themselves from the devices that will eventually lead to their demise. New Jersey homeowners often tell tales of rodents that have chewed their feet and tales off as a means of trying to set themselves free. It is an unpleasant site to come upon. Rats and mice have proven to be formidable pests and many homeowners have wisely chosen to call a NJ Pest Control professional for help eradicating the filthy beasts once they have invaded their abodes.
Interesting rat news…
NewScientist reported on December 8, 2011 that a new study of rats shows that they have empathy for each other. The study was conducted on thirty pairs of rats by the University of Chicago. After two weeks of being paired up together, one of each pair of the rats was placed in a plastic trap that could be opened by the other rat if it chose to push on the door.
What the researchers found was that the freed rats showed signs of distress at the plight of its partner being locked up and over ¾ of the rats figured out how to open the door and free their partner. To challenge the rats further, a candy reward was added to the control study to see which was more important…freeing the rat partner or eating the candy. Scientists were very surprised to see that “on average, the free rats were as quick to free their cage-mate as to liberate the chocolate. In a control experiment involving the chocolate trap and an empty trap, free rats opened the chocolate trap more swiftly, on average.” You may read the article here.
Hopefully New Jersey rats are not setting their furry friends free when they are stuck in a trap. If you need help controlling rats in or around your New Jersey home or business, contact a licensed NJ Pest Control expert like Allison Pest Control.