Gnawing holes roof rats prefer to gnaw on wood but may also damage electrical wiring food packaging and other materials.
Roof rat damage.
These rats can also transmit rat bite fever through bacteria in.
In attics the pests tear up insulation to build their nests and chew on the casing of electrical wires and pipes.
Roof rats get ferocious and tend to bite or scratch when threatened or cornered.
How to prevent a roof rat infestation.
How serious are roof rats.
Property damage caused by roof rats can add up quickly.
You won t always see roof rats because they are nocturnal and forage for food at night.
Signs of an infestation of roof rats.
The adult roof rat is about 7 10 inches long and weighs about 5 9 ounces.
To prevent rats from entering your home seal up any holes or cracks larger than a quarter.
The roof rat has a long tail which is longer than the combined length of the head and body.
Damaging furniture and storage boxes.
The warm weather and lush plant life attract the rodents to these regions.
Roof rats damage homes where they live in the southern and western coastal states.
They also find paths down to kitchens and pantries where they eat and contaminate food.
Roof rats are a health hazard being one of the oldest transmitters of diseases.
Roof rats can be cautious.
However you need to know the signs of infestation that can alert you to their presence.
Roof rats are also referred to as black rats or ship rats.
This is the way roof rats typically spread diseases like plague salmonellosis.
Inspecting roof rat.
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.
Roof rats will also chew through plastic and metal pipes to get water which can lead to serious structural damage.
Once inside roof rats not only damage materials by gnawing through them but they also contaminate stored food and serve as vectors of dangerous diseases.
Indoors tracks will appear as clean paths.
The fur of roof rat is smooth while the fur of the norway rat is rough and shaggy.
The rat zapper should be placed close to a roof rat nest or in their runways said ernie henson president and owner of stormin norman termite and pest control.
These bites or scratches can cause what is known as rat bite fever or even tetanus.
Tracks roof rats will make paths also known as tracks or runways that identify their movements.
Holes are typically 2 inches in diameter or larger and have rough edges.
Roof rats can cause extensive and costly damage from.
The roof rat gets its name from its tendency to find shelter in the upper parts of buildings.
Diseases roof rats spread diseases like salmonellosis through pantry foods contaminated with their droppings.
If you pull the tail back over the body it will reach over its head.
