Indoors tracks will appear as clean paths.
Roof rat damage.
Roof rats will also chew through plastic and metal pipes to get water which can lead to serious structural damage.
Roof rats can cause extensive and costly damage from.
How to prevent a roof rat infestation.
However you need to know the signs of infestation that can alert you to their presence.
Gnawing holes roof rats prefer to gnaw on wood but may also damage electrical wiring food packaging and other materials.
You won t always see roof rats because they are nocturnal and forage for food at night.
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.
Roof rats can be cautious.
Roof rats are also referred to as black rats or ship rats.
Diseases roof rats spread diseases like salmonellosis through pantry foods contaminated with their droppings.
Roof rats get ferocious and tend to bite or scratch when threatened or cornered.
The roof rat has a long tail which is longer than the combined length of the head and body.
Chewing on electrical wires.
The adult roof rat is about 7 10 inches long and weighs about 5 9 ounces.
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.
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.
These bites or scratches can cause what is known as rat bite fever or even tetanus.
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.
In attics the pests tear up insulation to build their nests and chew on the casing of electrical wires and pipes.
This is the way roof rats typically spread diseases like plague salmonellosis.
From rat bites and scratches to saliva and urine rats can cause many diseases.
How serious are roof rats.
Roof rats are a health hazard being one of the oldest transmitters of diseases.
Tracks roof rats will make paths also known as tracks or runways that identify their movements.
The roof rat gets its name from its tendency to find shelter in the upper parts of buildings.
Signs of an infestation of roof rats.
The warm weather and lush plant life attract the rodents to these regions.
To prevent rats from entering your home seal up any holes or cracks larger than a quarter.
Inspecting roof rat.
Holes are typically 2 inches in diameter or larger and have rough edges.
If you pull the tail back over the body it will reach over its head.
They also find paths down to kitchens and pantries where they eat and contaminate food.
Roof rats damage homes where they live in the southern and western coastal states.
