Attack of the giant rat! It may sound like a comic book tittle, but trust me, it happened in real life to a Swedish family. The exterminators in Sweden have nicknamed the monstrous rodent as "The Viking". Imagine, the rat measured about 15 inches, just the body and not counting tail. No wonder all the experts agree that it is the biggest one anybody has seen. If just thinking about it makes you sick, wait until you learn what the family went through and, if you hate rats, get ready: The photo can make you pass out.
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The massive rodent had made a tunnel from the basement. It eat its way from there, eating through the wood and the cement, until it got to the kitchen (revolting!), where it had made it's nest behind the dishwasher. When the family cat started to refuse to go into the kitchen, they suspected there was something going on with another animal.
Imagine how high Signe Bengtsson-Korsås must have jumped and screamed when she opened the cabinet next to the dishwasher to take out the trash and found the monster all comfy in there. Of course, her husband, Eric, thought his wife was exaggerating and took his sweet time to come home to a flooded kitchen.
The giant rat had eaten the dishwasher's hoses and was resting after all that hard work on the kitchen table. Then he called the exterminators. It took surprising man power and some professional traps to capture the animal. Ugh, did you throw up yet?
But don't worry, we got your back. Although giant rats are not common, mice and regular sized rats are often always around your house. Here are three tips to keep them at bay.
1. Clean the kitchen before going to bed. This is very important, particularly in the summer. Try to leave surface as clean as possible. Make sure that there are no pieces of food on the floor or counters. Also, put foods like fruits and breads in the fridge. The small may attract unwanted visitors.
2. Make sure that there are no holes. There are unseen openings in all homes: behind the heater, the stove, the fridge, the dishwasher, underneath the air conditioner unit, etc. They may seem small to us, but rats and mice are experts in getting through. Seal all those openings with a steel mesh or silicone caulk.
3. Use traps when needed. There are many different traps that you can leave all year long in the areas that you can not close permanently. There are electric system, sticky and more.
However, if you think that you have an infestation, I would call the professionals. There is nothing worst that the smell of a dead animal trapped in your walls.
Image via Thinkstock
