Roof Rat Burrow

Check along walls and grass for runways.

Roof rat burrow.

Roof rats can be dangerous they carry disease. These rats are about 16 inches in length including the tail and grayish brown in color. Roof rats also called black rats prefer to nest far above ground yet will dig holes in the ground when other homes aren t available. Norway rats like to live at ground level or underground so they commonly dig holes.

Rat burrows usually contain a main entrance and 1 or 2 exit holes away from the main entrance. They can also chew through electrical wires water pipes and cause other damage to your home. Roof rats are a health hazard being one of the oldest transmitters of diseases. As the dry ice melts it releases large volumes of carbon dioxide which fills the burrow and suffocates the rats.

Roof rats get ferocious and tend to bite or scratch when threatened or cornered. These burrows are often located under bushes or other types of dense vegetation. The norway rat digs tunnels to nest because it prefers to be on ground level. Rats create underground pathways or burrows from their nest to food sources and to escape predators.

You ll also notice fresh dirt just out of the entrance in a fan shape created when the rodents excavate dirt from the hole. The last way to kill a rat is to use the protection of the burrow against it. From rat bites and scratches to saliva and urine rats can cause many diseases. Burrows in the ground are a good indication of norway rats.

Typical rat burrow the first distinct sign of a rat hole is the size of the entrance. These bites or scratches can cause what is known as rat bite fever or even tetanus. Rat burrows usually contain a main entrance and 1 or 2 exit holes away from the main entrance. Once you have identified that you have roof rats you can work to eliminate rats from your property in the following ways.

If residents find a rat burrow near the home it most likely belongs to a norway rat not a roof rat. However in a hot dry environment roof rats burrow in shallow cavities beneath concrete slabs sidewalks or tree roots. Check along walls and grass for runways. Major cities like chicago have started utilizing this approach by filling the entrance of the burrow with dry ice.

Roof rats are darker in color and better climbers so they typically nest above the ground. Pet and laboratory rats are a variety of norway rats. When foraging outdoors roof rats prefer yards with fruit or nut bearing trees. This sets them apart from their burrowing or nesting counterparts who are more likely to be found in basements.

In homes they can be found in attics wall voids and other elevated areas including roofs. Rats create underground pathways or burrows from their nest to food sources and to escape predators.