Rattus rattus, a/k/a, citrus rat, fruit rat, black rat, gray rat or roof rat, is the most common rat found in Florida. Many people who move to Florida from up north are more familiar with the Norway rat, but they are rarely found in Florida.
Roof rats originated in southern Asia, and they were onboard the very first ships to reach America. Roof rats are the same species which carried bubonic plague and is the primary host for murine typhus most commonly transmitted by fleas.
Adults are 12-14 inches long and weigh 5-10 ounces. The tail is longer than the head and body length. Roof rats have prominent ears and eyes. Colors vary to black, gray and brownish gray bodies with gray to cream colored bellies.
Their fecal droppings are banana shaped, about ¼ to ½ inch long.
By nature, roof rats live in trees and use utility lines to gain access to our roofs/attics. They prefer to nest in hollowed out trees or in our attics/soffits. They are omnivores (plants and animal eating) and while they prefer to eat fruit, they will east most anything from nuts, pet food, bird seed, human food and garbage. Roof rats typically forage up to 150 yards from their nest (450 feet).
In Florida, roof rats breed year-round with peak breeding season in spring and fall. A female roof rat can have 4-5 litters of 5-8 pups per year so one female can produce 40 offspring each year alone. These female offspring begin reproduction at 3-4 months of age so it is easy to understand how one mating pair of roof rats can turn into a large colony in less than one year.
Extermination or eradication of roof rats may require a multi-step process to include physical trapping, exclusion, habitat modification, sanitation, chemical control and even biological control.
Roof rats are a major disease vector and complete eradication is necessary for the health and well-being of your family. Roof rats may also chew through water pipes, electric wiring and even lead shields to get water.
If you have or suspect you have rats in your home or office, here are a few important things to know:
In summation, if you have roof rats, you have a problem which should be addressed immediately. Small rat populations can quickly become large rat populations. You should never trust a low-ball price quote will solve your problem; in fact, it may make it worse. For residential pest control, termite treatment, or WDO inspections, contact 360PestControl at (904) 637-1109 to request service today.
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