Summary
Rodents are the most common pest in the US, representing 30% of all pest infestations in America.
Mice and rats are the most frequently seen rodents in residential and commercial properties. One particular kind of rat has been especially troublesome, and that is the roof rat.
You might be wondering what is a roof rat? A roof rat is a type of rat that was named due to its tendency to hang out on roofs and higher elevations in buildings.
Like other rodents, roof rats can cause damage to your house and your family’s health. In this article we will go through the origin of roof rats, what is their habitat, tips to get rid of them, and much more.
If you’re dealing with a rat infestation at home, SafePro Pest Control is your best choice in North Texas. Keep reading for more information about our services.
Rats are famous rodents known for their destructive habits and for spreading diseases worldwide. From home to offices, rats can reach anywhere and create trouble for you. Interestingly, we usually consider the rat infestation and use the same tactics on every rat. But are all the rats the same? The answer is no!
It may surprise you that there are over 60 rat species identified by the experts. Don’t worry! Only some species get into your home and cause destruction. Roof rats are one of them. As the name describes, a roof rat has excellent climbing abilities and different characteristics than other rats. Even though roof rat droppings are quite different when compared to a house or Norway rats.
Here a question arises, why should you care about the types of rats? Understanding the roof rats will help you know their activities and exterminate them accordingly. In this guide, we have uncovered various facts about roof rats and discussed how SafePro Pest Control can help you.
So, let’s get started!
What is a Roof Rat?
When it comes to rodents, there are many types and they all vary in shape, size, color, and even behavior.
One of the most common rat varieties in the US is the Texas roof rat. Black rats and ship rats are other names for roof rats, Texas just uses the term roof rat more frequently.
Thought to have originated in Southeast Asia, Texas roof rats can now be found anywhere, but they are most common in tropical areas. When discussing roof rats, Texas may not seem like an obvious issue as they are known to be a common problem in the southern half of the country, around seaports, especially in coastal areas.
So, what is a roof rat and what does it look like? Texas roof rats are long, slender rodents with prominent eyes and ears, a snub snout, and a scaly tail. Roof rats Texas often have soft, smooth fur that is brown with scattered black patches. They also frequently have white, gray, or black undersides.
The overall length of an adult roof rat’s head and body is 6-8″ (16-20 cm). Their tails, which measure 7 to 10″, are noticeably longer than their heads and bodies (19-25 cm). Normally, they weigh 5 to 9 ounces (150 to 250 g), although they can get as big as 12 ounces (340 g).
If you already know what a roof rat is and you suspect you’re having a roof rat infestation at your property, our roof rat control experts will take care of the problem and offer advice on precautionary measures to keep it from happening again.
The roof rat has a meaning in their name. So, it’s a rat with exceptional climbing abilities and a tendency to find shelters in the upper parts. They climb over everything and find a way to survive in your house. That’s why you usually find them in your attic, wall holes, cars, and upper parts where other rats may not reach
Roof rats in Texas have various types and they spread disease too. Before we jump to that, you must know what they look like.
What Do They Look Like?
Roof rats are longer but thinner than other rat species like Norway rats. However, their unique fur is what makes them stand out. These rats have smooth brown fur intermixed with various black spots. Furthermore, you might never notice that their undersides are of various colors including white grey, and black.
If we talk about their facial features, they have pointed noses and larger eyes than other rats. Interestingly, their tail and ears are too long when compared to a house rat. Hence, you can easily identify them over other species
Why is it Called a Roof Rat?
The moniker “roof rat” refers to the animal’s tendency to take refuge in buildings toward the roof instead of the ground.
Once they gain access to the inside, roof rats are known to contaminate food that has been stored and act as carriers of harmful diseases.
In addition, roof rats consistently cause material damage by chewing through almost anything they can dig their teeth into. Because roof rats are excellent climbers, they can access almost any area of your home or business.
Types of Roof Rats
Gray-Bellied Rat
Gray-bellied rats are one rare species of roof rats. They are mountain rats with buffy collars and brilliant climbing skills.
Luckily, these rats usually stay in the mountains and rarely visit residential areas. But if they enter your home, you must consult rodent exterminators before destruction starts.
White-Bellied Rat
As discussed above, roof rats may have different undersides or bellies. White-bellied rats have a complete snow-white underside like gray-bellied rats. Unlike Norway rats, the underside fur is quite soft and smooth.
That’s why some people also keep them as pets in their houses.
Alexandrine Rat
If we look at the name, Alexandrine rat may sound like a character from Narnia or poetry. But they are one of the common roof rats in Texas that cause various diseases. Besides diseases, they also destroy your food, ceiling, electric wires, and other essentials.
They look mostly like black rats and have the same tendency to destroy.
Black Rat
Black rats are the most common and unwelcome rodents around the world. These rats may have originated in the Indian subcontinent, but they are everywhere now.
Even people in Texas also notice their infestation and contact us for extermination. As the name describes, they have shiny black fur with different bellies.
Ship Rat
Ship rat is ending our list with its thin body and long scaled tail. You may usually find this rat hovering around your home and farms.
From wire insulation to crops, they chew everything and create trouble for you. Furthermore, they are the rats that carry diseases like Leptospirosis worldwide.
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Diseases Caused by Roof Rats
One of the main reasons why people look for professional roof rat exterminators is because roof rat droppings and even their bites can spread diseases. Here are some of the diseases caused by roof rats:
Leptospirosis
Leptospirosis is the primary disease transmitted by roof rats through contamination. It’s an infection that affects both humans and animals. In this, a roof rat contaminates your food or drinkables with a bacteria named Leptospira. These bacteria may cause high fever, headache, and joint pains.
Don’t worry! It’s extremely rare and treatable with medicines. Furthermore, there are specific vaccines that prevent you from Leptospirosis. However, prevention is necessary to keep you and your family away from these bacteria.
Plague
Plague is another infectious disease transmitted by roof rats in Texas. It’s a disease transmitted through biting and scratching. In this, rats transmit disease-causing bacteria called Yersinia pestis. From fever to headache, it has various symptoms that can infect any part of your body.
If we talk about treatment, you can get rid of the plague with antibiotic therapies. However, you may require clinical visits and lab tests to identify the infection.
Salmonellosis
Like Leptospirosis, salmonellosis is also a bacterial disease transmitted through contamination. It mainly happens when humans or pets eat contaminated food or drinkables. Interestingly, you may not identify any symptoms unless they convert to diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain.
As it leads to dehydration, doctors may suggest fluid replacement and hospitalization. So, you should keep roof rats away from your house instead of spending bucks on medicines.
Rat-bite Fever
If you’re looking for diseases transmitted by roof rats, rat-bite fever is something you can’t skip. It’s a mixture of two disease-causing bacteria, including streptobacillus and spirillum minus. As the name describes, roof rats transmit RBF by biting and scratching you.
Even if you have touched a dead roof rat, you may face chills, vomiting, muscle aches, and headaches.
Typhus
Last but not ending, Typhus is the most common infectious disease transmitted by roof rats. It’s even a combo of various diseases that affect both humans and pets. A person suffering from Typhus may suffer from headaches, fever, vomiting, hypotension, and diarrhea.
It may be treatable with medicines but can last several weeks and require lab testing. Luckily, you can prevent your family from this infection with vaccines and professional rodent control.
Surprised? We were too, after knowing these facts about these tiny rodents. Along with that, it may surprise you that rats can infect you through bites. If you’re looking for more information about diseases, click on the button below for detailed information. Consult our experts at 214-773-9548 for rodent control services in Texas.
Common Signs of Roof Rat Activity
Now, we have well-discussed roof rats and the disease they transmit to humans and pets. Here is one of the most common questions: how to identify the roof rat infestation?
Considering this, we have listed some common signs of roof rat activities to help you out. Let’s have a look at them.
Half-Eaten Fruits
Food is what attracts rats to your home and office. They have an extreme ability to smell and track food to soothe their hunger. In most cases, roof rats search for fruits and grains in your house. If you have a rat infestation in your home, you will surely notice half-eaten fruits and vegetables everywhere.
We recommend searching for half-eaten foods in the attic or upper spaces of your house. Not to mention, keep your food covered as rats transmit various diseases through contamination. If you find rotten foods, you must consult SafePro professionals before further contamination.
Chewed Items
Well, food is something they require to soothe their hunger. But roof rats have a natural habit of chewing off everything. From crops to electric wires, they chew everything on your property. They can even bite off your car wiring and HVAC lines and create serious troubles for you.
If you have an infestation in your home, you may see chewed items like clothes and destroyed wiring. In case of infestation, you should consult professional rat exterminators like SafePro to protect your essentials.
Noise in The Attic
Besides food, roof rats always find a place to hide and keep themselves warm. The attic of your house is the best and most comfortable place to hide. You may merely climb your attic, but roof rats are climb masters. Thus, you will always notice rats in your attic if you have a rat infestation.
Before you spot a rat, you may experience an odd sound or attic. Rats are rock stars and never stay quiet! When you sleep, they search for food and carry them to their nest. They create hollow sounds and usually disturb your sleep while doing their things.
Pawprints
Rats keep walking everywhere and aren’t clean. Hence, you will notice pawprints or dirt prints everywhere in your home. From pipes to the attic, pawprints will be everywhere if you have an infestation. Especially the upper areas of your house, like the attic and ceiling are the best place to identify paw prints.
You can also run a simple experiment to confirm the rat infestation. You may have talcum powder in the house. As the rat climbs to the attic, spread the talcum powder everywhere around the attic. It will help you confirm the infestation and find the location where rats have created their habitats.
Pet Behavior
As we know, pets like cats and dogs have more active senses than humans. Your pets notice the rat infestation earlier than you do. If they do odd behavior towards the ceiling, it may be a sign that you have a roof rat in the house. Some pets are smart enough to guide you toward the exact location of the rat habitat.
In this case, consult SafePro professionals for the rat inspection and extermination if required. They will remove the infestation and keep the stubborn roof rats away from your home in the future.
Droppings
It may sound disgusting, but droppings are the best sign to identify a rat infestation. The droppings of roof rats are quite different and identical compared to other rats. Especially thickness is what makes you identify the infestation. When compared to house rats, the length of droppings may be the same but are thicker and darker.
Spotted a sign of roof rat in your house? Don’t worry! SafePro Pest Control is just a call away from you. Whether you have spotted a house rat or a roof one, our experienced rat exterminators will help you out. So, contact us today at 214-773-9548 to ask for a consultation and get a free estimate for your home.
Identifying Roof Rat Droppings:
As discussed above, roof rat droppings are the best way to identify rat infestation. But people usually get confused about the droppings of other rats and pests. That’s why we have listed some facts about roof rat droppings for better identification. Let’s see what we have on our list.
Same as Other Rats but Thicker
When it comes to identifying roof rat droppings, thickness is what matters the most. At first look, the droppings may look like a house rat or a Norway rat. But roof rat droppings are thicker than other species of rat.
Besides thickness, the droppings are darker and less in quantity than other rats.
Don’t Confuse it with Lizard Droppings
It’s the biggest confusion that everyone faces while identifying roof rat droppings. Lizard droppings have the same size, color, and thickness as roof rats. However, roof rats leave a higher quantity of droppings when compared to lizards.
If you find a higher quantity of droppings, it may be a roof rat infestation in your house.
Squirrel Droppings May Look Similar Too
Besides lizards, roof rat dropping may also look similar to squirrel droppings. The reason is the darkness and thickness of both droppings. But you can still identify roof rat droppings over squirrel ones as they have better length.
Keeping length aside, roof rat droppings are also larger in quantity when compared to squirrel ones.
Where Do Roof Rats Live?
Looking further, we know almost everything about a roof rat now. But where do the roof rats live? Don’t worry! You will get the answer to this question with our list below.
Attic
The attic is the favorite place for a roof rat to hide and keep itself warm. As they climb masters, roof rats easily climb your attic and create their habitat. In most cases, only roof rats have the talent to climb your attic rather than other rat species. That’s why people usually notice roof rats in their attics.
Wall holes
Besides the attic, wall holes are one of the beloved places for every rat. From house rat to field one, every rat species can create a habitat in your wall holes. Just like Jerry mouse from the Tom & Jerry cartoon series! But roof rats can even use holes in the ceiling or upper area of walls to create their habitat.
That’s why people usually look for ways to get rid of rats in walls and ceilings.
Dense Shrubbery
You think that rats only live inside your home in case of infestation. Interestingly, they can survive outside in your garden too. Dense shrubbery is the best example here. A roof rat climbs over the bushes and finds a comfortable place in them. Also, shrubbery offers them food, warmth, and a perfect place to hide.
Vine-Covered Trees
Keep shrubbery aside, nothing can keep a roof rat warm than a vine-covered tree in winter. These trees may capture snow and ice, but the vines cover them like a thick blanket. Thus, it becomes the most comfortable place for roof rats in Texas. If you have a vine-covered tree outside, you must look into it during the inspection.
Cars
Getting inside a car is the real masterpiece of roof rats’ climbing skills. Surprisingly, they use the AC line of your car to climb and get inside it. Roof rats are thinner than other rats, and they can squeeze themselves to find the entry point. So, always smash the seats of your car before riding it to get them out.
What Damage Do Roof Rats Cause?
What is a roof rat’s favorite thing to do? Besides reproduce, roof rats love to chew. That’s why homeowners will notice damage caused by roof rats before they ever actually see one.
Roof rats love to chew through walls, wiring, pipes, and other essential components of your building. They generally don’t stop as soon as they gain access to your home.
Roof rats will devour food, paper, cardboard, and just about anything else they feel like chewing. And the more they eat, the more harmful they are as they can transmit disease through their feces and urine.
Get Rid of Roof Rats in Your Home Today
Now that you know what is a roof rat and the potential risks and damage they can cause to your property, it is necessary to get rid of them before the problem escalates.
That’s why SafePro is your best option. We are a family-owned and operated extermination company, with more than 10 years of experience we are the real experts. Our staff of exterminators is fully trained and certified to deal with any kind of rodent infestation.
We deal with everything related to vermin, rats, mice, and bugs. If you’re in trouble because of pests, it’s time to call SafePro.
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How Do You Get Rid of Rats on the Roof?
The Texas roof rat can be challenging to eradicate because they will reside and hide in areas of your property that are very tough to get to. Getting assistance from a pest control expert is the most efficient technique to control roof rats in your home. For assistance with roof rats in your house call SafePro for a free consultation.
For homeowners, roof rats in the attic can be a serious problem. To stop a roof rat invasion, here are some tips for you to take into consideration:
- Repairing or replacing any missing or loose roof shingles
- Covering chimneys with a tight-fitting cap
- Make sure that outdoor garbage cans are set back from the exterior of your house and have tight-fitting lids
- Trim back bushes and trees that are near the exterior of your property
- Fill up any gaps near windows and doors
- Make sure that vent covers are snugly fitting
- Food stored within your home should be maintained in refrigerators or sealed containers
- Contact a local rodent expert, like SafePro
Rats will not go away on their own so to protect your family’s health and your property before they cause hundreds if not thousands of dollars worth of damage.
A professionals pest control specialist should take care of the issue correctly the first time before it spreads. With the correct procedures, tools, and training necessary to deal with rats, they should be able to take care of your problem for you.
An expert exterminator may use a variety of eradicating techniques. Here are just a few:
Rat Baits and Glue Traps
Rat traps and rat bait traps are by far the most popular and reasonably priced ways to deal with a rat problem. What is a roof rat’s nemesis? Not being able to flee when they sense danger. The rat bait lures them in and glue traps prevent them from moving on. A pest control expert will determine the correct bait and the high rat traffic areas that will be most beneficial. Sometimes a rat’s pathway is evident as they leave evidence of where they congregate and eat. Rats need time to develop a trusting relationship with new objects, thus a pest control specialist will know the best places to set up this type of trap.
Electronic Traps
Rat extermination with ultrasonic technology is chemical-free and humane. With sounds that are imperceptible to human ears, rats are annoyed and driven away rather than killing them.
However, professional ultrasonic products do not promise to eliminate rodents, but they do a good job at decreasing rodent numbers.
Now sure the best method to get rid of roof rats for your home or business? SafePro experts are familiar with rodents that invade north Texas so know the best extermination methods to get rid of rats efficiently TODAY. We offer safe and chemical-free options and work hard to make sure we have the latest and greatest techniques to solve any kind of pest infestation problem you may have.
Conclusion: Get Rid of Roof Rats:
Are you looking for roof-rat control services in Friso, Plano or McKinney Texas? SafePro Pest Control is the best place to end your research journey. From trained experts to professional resources, we have everything to get the roof rats out of your home. Here’s what we do to help you get rid of roof rats.
Professional Resources
That’s what makes us do our professional rat extermination jobs. We have a collection of professional resources to identify the infestation and remove it.
Our experts place cameras and notice the activities of rats in your attic. With this, we ensure there are no more rats in your house and seal the entry point for the future.
Trained Exterminators
When it comes to exterminating rats, only professional resources may not be enough. That’s why we have the industry’s most experienced rat exterminators. With years of expertise, they have plenty of knowledge about rats and roof rat droppings. They identify the infestation and remove it without damaging your property.
Limited Lifetime Warranty
Like every rat, a roof rat is stubborn and keeps entering your home even if you drop them outside. Our experts remove the infestation and seal all the entry points to reduce the reentry of rats in your home. Whether you talk about our services or support, we ensure high customer satisfaction every time.
Call us today at 214-773-9548 and consult our professionals for free or ask for a Free Zero-obligation consultation with us.