The Roof Rat
Rats, especially roof rats, are annoying pests. If unfortunately, they invade your house, they won’t only damage your household items and eat away pantry items, they will also contaminate the food they come across. It’s better to be aware of these mammals so you can combat them in an effective way.
HOW TO IDENTIFY ROOF RATS
Appearance
Roof Rats. By H. Zell (reframed by Michelet-密是力 (talk) 06:42, 6 June 2013 (UTC)) – Reframed version of file:Rattus_rattus_01.JPG, CC BY-SA 3.0,
Roof rats are usually black or brown in color and have smooth fur. They have a sleek body compared to Norway rats. They have a pointed nose, and large eyes and ears. They also possess a long tail (4.3 inches long). They are usually almost 16 inches long.
Behavior
As their name refers, roof rats live in elevated places like house roofs, attics, upper parts of the buildings, on trees or even on debris and wood piles. Roof rats are excellent climbers and their adaptive nature helps them to survive in different types of surroundings.
These are nocturnal rodents and start their hunt for food after sunset. They are omnivorous in nature and eat almost anything that’s available but prefer to feed on meat, grains, tree bark and fruits. They live on trees or in attics, but when searching for food, they climb down to food sources on the ground. They can travel up to 300 feet in their quest for food.
Roof rats are food hoarders too. Therefore, besides eating the food, they stash solid food like nuts, seeds, etc., in their nests. These caches of food can easily be located behind boxes in a garage or behind wooden piles.
Signs
It’s difficult to spot a roof rats presence on the ground without the help of droppings, tracks or urine because they live in overhead spaces and come down only for food. If you spot a roof rat on its own, then it means there is a serious rodent infestation.
Scurrying sounds coming from the attic or food-storage facilities at night is an indication that there is a rodent problem. Damaged outdoor vegetation is a tell-tale sign of roof rats’ presence. If you spot these clues, then check walls and aerial routes of your food-storage facility. There could be dirt and smudge marks that also hint toward the presence of rats.