They may chew the entrance hole and top edges of the nestbox roof.
Roof rat nest in wall.
Some other common outdoor nest locations include the following places.
They may collect pine branches.
Thick vegetation that grows over fences and utility lines.
Since roof rats can have multiple nests removing one is no guarantee that the problem is resolved.
Roof rats generally use a bare nestbox or sleep on a nest made by a bird.
I ve cut open walls at several homes and found rat nests inside with many baby rats.
Hidden rats living in wall voids and hollow ceilings can continue an infestation even after all the visible nests are gone.
Typically living in colonies roof rats prefer to nest in the upper parts of buildings such as attics and rafters.
Generally preferring sheltered or covered habitats roof rats are attracted to lush landscapes dense vegetation and fruit trees.
Here s a photo of a dead rat down a wall.
Where they do breed they build a disheveled nest that may have bits of nut shells hair and fur.
They can also be found under in and around structures as well as in piles of wood or debris.
How do roof rats make nests.
Outdoors you can find roof rats nesting in trees shrubs wood piles and dense vegetation.
Deterring mice and rats from a bluebird trail.
Indoors roof rats like to build nests in the upper areas of the home where it s kept warm by rising heat.
The dead fronds of thick palm trees.
This rat obviously had easy ways to climb up and down the wall with the wires but it just naturally expired and died down this wall.
They reproduce quickly and will create rat nests in the wall or in the attic.