Roof Rat Michigan

The two kinds we have here in michigan are the roof rat also known as the brown rat and the more famous norway rat or brown rat.

Roof rat michigan.

Roof rats are long and thin rodents that have large eyes and ears a pointed nose and a scaly tail. Parks with natural and artificial ponds or reservoirs may also be infested. Both kinds of rats have bodies which helps them blend in with the city surroundings and an incredible ability to squeeze through small cracks. These pests adapt quickly to their environments and quickly become a nuisance.

Both roof rats and norway rats a stockier variety of rat can infest homes. Roof rats have soft and smooth fur that is typically brown with intermixed spots of black. Roof rats differ from the norway rat in several ways. Roof rats also known as black rats and ship rats came to north america aboard wooden ships filled with european settlers in the 17th and 18th centuries.

These rats are omnivores eating foliage like seeds leaves and stems in addition to small prey like birds and insects. Roof rats are food hoarders stashing supplies of food such as seeds and nuts. Also known as black rats even though they vary in color roof rats are rodents that explore both indoors and outside and can be found on roofs in attics rafters the tops of trees and other high places around your home. Roof rats are known by a variety of other names including palm rats fruit rats ship rats and alexandrian rats.

Biology black rats are generalists and eat almost any food from fruits to invertebrates. Since then the invasive rodent has flourished along the eastern and western coasts of the united states as well as in the gulf states. There are many species of rats found in detroit columbus cleveland and throughout the united states but two rat species are of particular concern as pests roof rats and norway rats. Parks with natural and artificial ponds or reservoirs may also be infested.

Roof rats are more aerial than norway rats in their habitat selection and often live in trees or on vine covered fences. Other names for the black rat are roof rat ship rat and house rat. These rodents prefer to consume fruits sometimes referred to as the fruit rat or citrus rat and nuts although roof rats are omnivorous and will feed on almost anything available to them. Adult roof rats measure 6 8 16 20 cm when combining their head and body length.

Landscaped residential or industrial areas provide good habitat as does riparian vegetation of riverbanks and streams. Their undersides are often white gray or black. They typically prefer higher nesting sites like roofs and upper floors.