If you have a home in Yuma, then expect that roof rats may already be calling your roof their home. The only way to be sure the your home is defended against roof rats is to call a Yuma pest professional today!
As you can imagine, roof rats have four legs, a long tail. They appear brown or black with grey and white also found on their body. Roof rats can be 16 inches in length, with the tail being longer than their body. They can also have long, pointy ears and weigh about 6-12 ounces. They may appear hairless and scaly.
Roof rats will eat at night and in the early morning, so there is a good chance they are eating their breakfast and dinner when you are. They may even hoard their meals for later.
How do you get roof rats?
Roof rats, like most pests, will follow their food source. They will consume; nuts, seeds, fruit, and other smaller animals such as snails or slugs. They may even help you learn that you have cockroaches as they feed on them as well. If you find cockroach carcasses, you may find roof rats as the reason for their untimely deaths.
Roof rats love citrus, and Yuma has plenty of citrus growing naturally in people's yards, common areas, and even nearby groves. Always make sure that citrus is inspected for holes and discarded after it has fallen to the ground. Spots in citrus fruit can indicate that a roof rat has been feeding recently.
How do you know you have them?
One clear indication that you have roof rats is seeing one. Short of seeing a roof rat, you will witness droppings around the foundation of your house. If you feel inclined to view the droppings closer, wet or moist dropping will indicate active presence.
You may also see signs of roof rats is you witness gnaw marks on your stucco or roof and damage to areas of your exterior. You may also see nests building or formed, but be careful as these may not be friendly birds nest. They may be home to future roof rat residence in your home.
If you want to check the attic region of your house, you may find damaged wires, chewed walls, or insulation as nesting areas. You may even hear them at night, running around.
How can you prevent roof rats?
Roof rats will find ways into your house, utilizing cracks, windows, missing caulking, or even stucco deterioration. The best way to prevent roof rats is by sealing those openings and deterring them.
It can be beneficial to trim and maintain your Yuma landscaping, especially fruit trees. Trees are one of their favorite ways to invite themselves over without you knowing. They will eat fruit and garage around the exterior of your home, so maintaining a clean yard will help eliminate them.
If you have your yard professionally maintained, ensure that your landscaper does not bring other yard waste to your property. Landscaper errors can be an easy way for roof rats to relocate free of charge. Always make sure clippings stay in their trucks, and they don’t use the same netting collection with previous customer's debris inside.
Where are they found in Arizona?
While roof rats are not native to Arizona, they indeed have found their way to their new homes. Roof rats are all over Arizona. It may be more common to see then where fruits trees are prevalent. While they are more known towards coastal regions of the US, Arizona does have them throughout the state.
Roof rats will be more active during the colder months in Yuma. They are typically more active during the evening than in the daytime.
Facts about roof rats:
- They can produce up to 40 offspring throughout their lives even though their life expectancy is about one year.
- They will often live in colonies.
- They may bite is feeling threatened.
What type of damage can they cause? If any?
Roof rats will gnaw, chew, and destroy parts of your home. They may eat through electrical wires, causing other costly home-related repairs. They can cause damage to your stucco, roof tiles, windows, and even your landscaping.
Roof rats are known to carry and spread diseases. They can also have fleas and spread them throughout your house. Finally, roof rats will, at times, contaminate food sources and surfaces in your home. Contaminated food leads to humans and even your pets from getting very sick. If you notice areas near your human or pet food sources, urge on the side of caution and eliminate the food.
What should you do if you have them?
Call Hitman Pest of Yuma right away! The soon you get experts in place to deal with your roof rat's infestation, the better.