Here’s What You Need To Know About Roof Rats
Roof rats are a special breed of rats. They are agile and acrobatic and can easily climb your compound trees and walls. If you have heard some scratching in your attic, you may be dealing with roof rats. But how would you identify them? Below you will get detailed information on how they look, why they are dangerous and how you can deal with them.
But before we get there, it’s important to be sure of what we are talking about in this post.
What is a roof rat?
Roof rats are these unique rats found in coastal areas though of late they have found their way into inland areas. They are clothed in black and brown fur and they are also called ship rats or black rats. Their color makes it easy for them to hide and they love high hidden places like home attics.
But are they like other rats like the Norway rats? Not really, you see:
Unlike Norway rats, roof rats are good climbers, with extra food pads on the bottom of their feet and extra long tails that help them balance and climb. They prefer aerial harborages, and will live in trees, shrubs, and dense vines. While roof rats may be entirely black in color, that is not always the case. Their fur can be various shades of brown or black, with gray, cream, or white bellies. Adult roof rats are medium-sized, weighing about 8 to 12 ounces, and measuring about 16 inches in length from their nose to the tip of their tail. The tail of the roof rat is longer than its body, and it has large ears and a nose that is more pointed in shape than the blunt nose of the Norway rat. Read more from Miche Pest Control…
Are roof rats dangerous?
Rodents are known to spread over 30 diseases especially when humans come into contact with their dead bodies or their fecal matter. Roof rats are not any different. You should avoid getting bitten by them or coming into physical contact with them.
Yes, roof rats are extremely dangerous. They chew on electrical wires, and damage furniture and storage boxes. Roof rat droppings were the carriers of bubonic plague, that led to the death of thousands of individuals. They carry fleas and spread diseases such as trichinosis, jaundice, typhus, rat-bite fever, and salmonellosis. They can also cause food poisoning by contaminating the food. In order to get rid of roof rats, pest control measures are extremely important. Read more from KidadI…
How do you get rid of roof rats?
Roof rats like other rodents are always in search of food, water, and shelter. Your home could be providing this for them in many forms. They could be living in your attic, the unraked leaves, or the dead car in your garage. A proactive approach could be cutting off any of these facilitating ingredients.
But if you have a full infestation it is probably too late. Here are some tips for you:
When it comes to roof rats, prevention is key and focusing your efforts on keeping them out will go a long way. Proactive exclusion tactics such as sealing cracks and holes in your property, replacing damaged vent covers and shingles on your roof and keeping doors closed will help prevent roof rats from entering your facility.
While it might be tempting to take care of what may seem to be a minor roof rat issue in-house and get back to business quickly, it’s not that simple. Roof rats should be treated differently from other rodents, so it’s best to work with a pest management professional understands the animal and is trained to handle them. Each facility is unique in its design and function and a pest control professional will be able to create a customized treatment plan. Read more from Food Manufacturing…
In Maryland, you can contact Backyard Bug Patrol to get rid of roof rats for you. We specialize in perimeter rodent and snake control. You can call us today and we will be there for you right away.