Roof Rat Damage

If you pull the tail back over the body it will reach over its head.

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 rats can cause extensive and costly damage from. These rats can also transmit rat bite fever through bacteria in. Tracks roof rats will make paths also known as tracks or runways that identify their movements.

Property damage caused by roof rats can add up quickly. This is the way roof rats typically spread diseases like plague salmonellosis. Roof rats will also chew through plastic and metal pipes to get water which can lead to serious structural damage. From rat bites and scratches to saliva and urine rats can cause many diseases.

Indoors tracks will appear as clean paths. Holes are typically 2 inches in diameter or larger and have rough edges. The adult roof rat is about 7 10 inches long and weighs about 5 9 ounces. Inspecting roof rat.

In attics the pests tear up insulation to build their nests and chew on the casing of electrical wires and pipes. 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 are a health hazard being one of the oldest transmitters of diseases. The roof rat has a long tail which is longer than the combined length of the head and body.

Gnawing holes roof rats prefer to gnaw on wood but may also damage electrical wiring food packaging and other materials. Diseases roof rats spread diseases like salmonellosis through pantry foods contaminated with their droppings. You won t always see roof rats because they are nocturnal and forage for food at night. Roof rats can be cautious.

Roof rats get ferocious and tend to bite or scratch when threatened or cornered. How serious are roof rats. The roof rat gets its name from its tendency to find shelter in the upper parts of buildings. The warm weather and lush plant life attract the rodents to these regions.

Chewing on electrical wires. However you need to know the signs of infestation that can alert you to their presence. These bites or scratches can cause what is known as rat bite fever or even tetanus. Damaging furniture and storage boxes.

They also find paths down to kitchens and pantries where they eat and contaminate food. 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. How to prevent a roof rat infestation.

While roof rats can live in wooded areas yards and homes provide both food and shelter making them an attractive place to nest. Signs of an infestation of roof rats.