Pest Expert Overview: Roof Rats in Bryan & College Station
Roof rats, Rattus rattus, and also known as black rats are the most commonly encountered type of rat in Central Texas. They are rarely seen because of their cryptic, nocturnal habits. More often, they’ll be heard running around in attics or evidence of their existence, such as chewing or droppings, will be seen. Roof rats average about 16 inches in length, with about half of that being their tail. They are gray in color with a light colored underside. They are agile climbers, more at home in the trees than on the ground. They are thought to have originated from Southeast Asia, but can now be found worldwide. In the United States, they are most common in the Coastal States and the Southern ⅓ of the Country.
Life Cycle
Roof rats are omnivores, meaning they eat a number of different kinds of food. They prefer fruit, nuts, and seeds, but will also eat pet food, snails, slugs, and insects. Their habit of nesting in hollow spaces is where they get their name. In nature, this would be in tree hollows or caves. They do their foraging at night and spend their days sheltered in hidden, hollow spaces.
Roof rats live for 1 to 2 years. They can have up to 3 litters of about 8 pups in a year. Pups are weaned after a month and are reproductively mature after 3 months.
Why are they Pests?
Roof rats living inside a structure can cause damage to wiring and insulation and soil the area with their excrement. They also can consume and soil our food and our pet’s food. There is also a long list of diseases that roof rats can transmit: leptospirosis, salmonellosis, rat-bite fever, murine typhus, plague, toxoplasmosis, and trichinosis.
Roof Rat Prevention
- Reduce debris and foliage around the home
- Keep compost bins away from home
- Seal possible entry points
- Keep pet food in sealed containers
- Don’t feed birds
Professional Roof Rat Control
If you are dealing with an infestation of roof rats, Venus Pest Company can help. Founded by Aggie Entomologist Dr. Scott Lingren, we provide expert, eco-friendly Integrated Pest Management solutions in Bryan and College Station. To get started, fill out the contact form, call/text 979.774.0486 or email [email protected]. Don’t let nuisance pests take over your home!
