One of the first concerns one may have when they learn of a Delaware rodent infestation is very likely: "Are they going to reproduce?!" Well, the answer is quite simple: Yes, if you do not act quickly enough. How long do I have before they breed? If a male and a female rat decide to get cozy in your attic, it is very possible they will mate within 10 days, the length of two cycles (a female "comes into season" about every 4-5 nights). So, if you hear the tell-tell scratching in the ceiling, take action immediately!

How fast will the Babies Grow?
• Rats have fairly quick growth rates, reaching full grown at 6 months.
• We all know our busy lives can get in the way of many household projects, but brooding Delaware rats are one thing you want to deal with as soon as you notice them!
• Speed is of the essence, as they say; especially when you consider that rats can have anywhere between 6-24 babies per litter! That's a lot of naked little nasties roaming about your storage space!

24 Babies per Litter?! How often do they do that?!
• On top of all that, a female can mate with multiple partners as many as 500 times in the span of their 6-hour receptive period, giving birth to their litters around 22-28 days. That makes for a serious reproductive rate!
• In fact, according to magazine.com, a pair of brown Delaware rats can produce as many as 2,000 babies a year if left unchecked!
• You definitely do not want that running around your grandma's antique doilies and your father's old baseball cards!

So why on Earth do they choose my Attic?!
- Attics are great breeding grounds for Delaware rats.
- Well, actually, anywhere is really perfect for them to use.
- Certain rats, that is. Others require specific areas to successful reproduce.
- People with pet rats often use a one story cage or an aquarium to get their rats to breed, providing the mommy and daddy to be a large, flat area to do their business on.
- Some need cage bedding, a comfortable resting spot (pet owners use hammocks or rodent houses) and privacy.
- Chances are, your attic could provide all of this and more to a potential Delaware rat couple.

In conclusion, when you hear some rodent-like noises coming from your attic, take care of it immediately. If you don't, you may just have a whole Delaware rat family on your hands. Wait six months, have you might just have a whole commune using your high school photo albums as their homes!

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