There Are Rats On My Roof

Get rid of roof rats in four basic steps.

There are rats on my roof.

First and foremost seeing an actual rodent dead or alive is a telltale sign of a potential roof rat problem. In dense populations these rodents will establish a social hierarchy wherein dominant males mate more than subordinate males. What you ll want to look for are any signs that the rats are present including droppings tracks gnaw marks burrows runways and rodent sounds. Fresh roof rat droppings are soft and moist whereas old droppings are.

Another common sign of a roof rat infestation is the presence of droppings around the home. Step 1 in order to assess the severity of the rat problem and to get a better idea of where to bait and trap you will first need to perform a thorough inspection of the premises. Lofts or ceiling cavities are ideal environments for rats and mice that damage stored items and electric cabling by gnawing and possibly causing fires they are also ideal environments for nesting birds that can spread disease mites and fleas. Roof rats have smaller and sleeker bodies than norway rats and their fur is smooth.

Other roof rat features include large ears with very little hair and pointy faces. Roof rats will feed on many different sources of food including a wide variety of fruits and nuts as well as ornamental and native plant materials. The common lifespan of these rodents is about one year. Roof rats become sexually mature between two and five months producing four to six litters per year that consist of six to eight young each.

Noises in your roof are worrying and can be an indication that rodents or other wildlife may be living in your roof.