Roof Rat Bites

Diseases including rat bite fever can be transmitted through a roof rat bite or scratch.

Roof rat bites.

These bites or scratches can cause what is known as rat bite fever or even tetanus. This will get the rat used to eating at that location. Toxic baits or rodenticides are intended to kill the rats when they eat the bait. You can also contract rat bite fever if you come in contact with a dead rat or end up ingesting food or water which has been contaminated by rat feces.

In addition try putting the attractant out for a few days before setting the trap. Rats will bite or scratch if frightened or handled so leave them alone. Roof rats may be attracted to simple food scraps including pieces of fruit and bacon. To prevent rats from entering your home seal up any holes or cracks larger than a quarter.

Symptoms of rat bite fever include vomiting headache fever and muscle and joint pain. Symptoms of rat bite fever occur within a few days to a few weeks. Roof rats get ferocious and tend to bite or scratch when threatened or cornered. Sometimes the bite or scratch is already healed when symptoms begin so it s important to know what they are.

To make an ideal home roof rats need food water and a cozy nesting site so clean out wood piles rake up fallen vegetation and fruit and do not leave pet food or water outside especially overnight. Similar to many other rodent species roof rats may show aggression when threatened. A bite from a roof rat can transmit disease to you including rat bite fever which is spread to humans through a bite or scratch. Roof rats have long been named as carriers of the fleas responsible for the plague also known as the black death in the middle ages.