Their sense of smell and touch however are acute. Rats often live in basements or any dark area, or burrow under ground often under front stoops. They are nocturnal feeders. Young Norway rats are capable of mating at three months. After giving birth, the female goes back into heat in twenty four hours.
Adults live approximately one year.
To keep rodents out of a structure, exclusion is always the first and most important step. Search your property and repair any holes. A good idea for holes around cables and telephone wires is to stuff them with steel wool prior to repairing them. If a rodent chews on steel wool it will cause internal bleeding and kill them. Pay careful attention to garage doors.