Rats Add Mischief

—This post came to me when I saw the headline of a story coming from NYC. —

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We’ve all heard of Flock of Seagulls – the music group and the bird that lives near the water. That sentence is partially untrue. Seagulls don’t actually exist – they are just gulls. They don’t come in flocks. Multiple gulls together are a colony. I don’t know what to add now, so next paragraph…

RATS COME IN HERDS?

I saw a headline of a newspaper story… A Herd Of Rats… Huh??

My first impression was that this journalist is “off his rocker”. I’ve never known rats to come in a herd. Goats, maybe. But, rats?

I carry my Google machine (smart phone) in my pocket, so I searched for this anomaly. ‘Do rats come in a herd?’ Answer – a group of rats is called a MISCHIEF. Well, of course they are. What a perfect description.

Female rats are ‘does’. Male rats are ‘bucks’. A litter of baby rats is a ‘nest’. The entire group is a ‘mischief’. Wow, do they cause some mischief when left to themselves.

LITTERS CAN BE LARGE

Rats can start their reproductive cycles at just 6 weeks old. They can have up to 12 young per litter, and produce as many as 15 litters per year.

Just a reminder…. If you encounter a rodent problem, it’s best to call a licensed professional. Your pest control person is very well trained, and equipped to handle any type of e-RAT-ication.