Rats eat just about anything.  Rats are omnivores, which means that they will feed on both plants and animals.  Rats are also what is known as opportunistic feeders which is why rats can be found on social media running off with slices of pizza and attacking other wildlife looking for a meal.  While rats do have preferences, they will often eat just about anything and everything they can get to when hungry.

To give you a bit more perspectives, rats are known to eat Berries, seeds, and nuts that fall from trees and bushes, birdseed, candy, compost, feces, fish, frozen food, garbage, meat, poultry, fish, rodents, pet food, spoiled food, and vegetables.

Rats in general are not dangerous to humans, however the presence of rats in human environments does present very serious health risks.  Rats are notorious for spreading pathogens, so much so that the CDC has created two categories in which rodents transmit pathogens.  You can view Diseases directly transmitted by rodents and Diseases indirectly transmitted by rodents on the CDC website.

The best way to keep rodents out of your home is to ensure that your home is sealed tightly.  Ensure that entry points into your home are sealed well and do not have gaps or spaces where rodents can enter the home.  Inspect the internal and external perimeter of your home and seal cracks or gaps between the foundation and the home.

The best way to keep rodents out of your restaurant is to ensure that your building is sealed tightly.  Ensure that entry points into your business are sealed well and do not have gaps or spaces where rodents can enter.  Inspect the internal and external perimeter of your restaurant and seal cracks or gaps between the foundation and the restaurant.

Rats enter restaurants through exterior weaknesses.  Check that entrances drilled into the building that support utilities are sealed effectively.  Some rats known as Roof Rats can climb walls and find entrances through small electrical conduits.  Restaurants should also move garbage and oil dumpsters as far away from the building as possible to keep rats away from the building.

Rats can damage your home by chewing wires, drywall, insulation, and structural materials.  In addition to destroying these materials they can also contaminate building materials with urine and droppings that can lead to heath issues. 

The best way to get rid or rodents is by sealing your home and trapping them.  You can try your hand at DIY but contacting the professionals will make it simple.  Pest control professionals like A-Bear Pest Control technicians use various techniques and are aware of the different behaviors that rodents in your community respond to these techniques.  Contacting A-Bear Pest control will effectively exterminate rodents.