Norway rats like staying on farms as they prefer yards that have gardens, fruit trees, animal feed, trash, and other easily accessible sources of food. When Norway rats move into someone’s home or the garage, they follow their burrowing instincts and build nests in places low to the ground.
Norway rats like to settle in basements, crawl spaces, or beneath the flooring in a home with a pier-and-beam foundation. They might also burrow along the foundation of a home or other structure to build their nests. As Norway rats are not skilled climbers, these rodents do not build their nest on anything higher than the first floor of a home.
Roof rats
Unlike Norway rats, roof rats, as we can see from their name, are natural climbers and prefer to build their nests in high-up locations such as in attic rafters or eaves. Roof rats seek out locations in trees, shrubbery, attics, or crawl places.
Roof rats can easily scale a tree and jump down onto the roof. Once they have access to your roof, roof rats can chew their way into many points of vulnerability. They can easily gain access to your attic and eventually the rest of your home.
Roof rats love to hang out in abandoned homes, however, even newly built houses can be infested by roof rats. If there is new construction, demolition, or renovations of buildings or housing, there is always a higher risk of a pending rat problem. In this case, extra precautions need to be taken during the construction process to ensure that your new home is rat-proof.
Like most types of rats, roof rats can travel up to 300 feet from their nest in search of food and patrol their territory. However, they will venture much farther if the food and water are not available nearby.
Woodrats
Woodrats are known for their rather large nests built from twigs and their tendency to hoard items. This is where the term “pack rat” got its start.
Woodrats while searching for food will also collect other shiny items that appeal to them. Woodrats tend to keep away from people but it’s possible for them to nest in unutilized closets or sheds.
Woodrats prefer to be left alone but can become a nuisance. Homeowners and businesses that are in rural areas are prone to attract woodrats. Especially if there is a farm or uninhabited land nearby.
Many housing developments that pop up in rural areas may notice a rise in woodrat sightings as we encroach upon their area. Fortunately, woodrats will seek isolation eventually, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t find your home a nice, warm, dry, and secure place to nest.
