Roof Rat Damage

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 rat damage.

Property damage caused by roof rats can add up quickly. Roof rats can cause extensive and costly damage from. Inspecting roof rat. The warm weather and lush plant life attract the rodents to these regions.

The adult roof rat is about 7 10 inches long and weighs about 5 9 ounces. However you need to know the signs of infestation that can alert you to their presence. The roof rat has a long tail which is longer than the combined length of the head and body. Roof rats are a health hazard being one of the oldest transmitters of diseases.

While roof rats can live in wooded areas yards and homes provide both food and shelter making them an attractive place to nest. To prevent rats from entering your home seal up any holes or cracks larger than a quarter. 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. Chewing on electrical wires.

The fur of roof rat is smooth while the fur of the norway rat is rough and shaggy. These rats can also transmit rat bite fever through bacteria in. Roof rats can be cautious. Indoors tracks will appear as clean paths.

Tracks roof rats will make paths also known as tracks or runways that identify their movements. From rat bites and scratches to saliva and urine rats can cause many diseases. Roof rats will also chew through plastic and metal pipes to get water which can lead to serious structural damage. Roof rats get ferocious and tend to bite or scratch when threatened or cornered.

Roof rats are also referred to as black rats or ship rats. Damaging furniture and storage boxes. These bites or scratches can cause what is known as rat bite fever or even tetanus. This is the way roof rats typically spread diseases like plague salmonellosis.

Roof rats damage homes where they live in the southern and western coastal states. How to prevent a roof rat infestation. In attics the pests tear up insulation to build their nests and chew on the casing of electrical wires and pipes. How serious are roof rats.

The roof rat gets its name from its tendency to find shelter in the upper parts of buildings. 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. You won t always see roof rats because they are nocturnal and forage for food at night. They also find paths down to kitchens and pantries where they eat and contaminate food.

Diseases roof rats spread diseases like salmonellosis through pantry foods contaminated with their droppings. Holes are typically 2 inches in diameter or larger and have rough edges.