Roof rats are a health hazard being one of the oldest transmitters of diseases.
Roof rat citrus damage pictures.
Use a sheet metal or aluminum flashing that is at least 18 inches tall and wrap it around the base of the tree overlapping it by 2 or 3.
Too much citrus draws in roof rats.
Install rat guard around the trunks of the citrus trees.
Fruit rats or roof rats as they re commonly called thrive in warm fruit bearing areas.
Roof rats are frequent visitors to yards and homes across the country.
Spp or cotton rat sigmodon arizonae.
Roof rats get ferocious and tend to bite or scratch when threatened or cornered.
These bites or scratches can cause what is known as rat bite fever or even tetanus.
Roof rats can be cautious.
The roof rat sometimes called the black rat is a common vertebrate pest in citrus and nut orchards in citrus it builds leaf and twig nests in trees or it can nest in debris piles thick mulch on the ground or in shallow burrows under the tree especially in hot weather.
In livestock feed yards and barns roof rats often burrow.
These rodents prefer to consume fruits sometimes referred to as the fruit rat or citrus rat and nuts although roof rats are omnivorous and will feed on almost anything available to them.
Other identifying traits include their pointed noses hairless ears and dark fur with light colored underbellies.
According to the university of california statewide integrated pest management program roof rats are especially fond of avocados and citrus and often eat fruit that is still on the tree.
Ecology of roof rats and native rats.
While casual observations of roof rats or native rats can.
In nut orchards roof rats often nest around the base of trees.
Adult roof rats measure 6 8 16 20 cm when combining their head and body length.
From rat bites and scratches to saliva and urine rats can cause many diseases.
Their bodies are seven or eight inches in length though their bald scaly tails add up to ten more inches.
Roof rats are long and thin rodents that have large eyes and ears a pointed nose and a scaly tail.
Their undersides are often white gray or black.
Table 1 provides a brief description of the physical similarities and differences among these rodents.
Roof rats are food hoarders stashing supplies of food such as seeds and nuts.
By teri carnicelli the overabundance of citrus this winter and spring may seem like a happy circumstance for those who enjoy spending hours squeezing oranges and grapefruits or making tasty desserts with lemons and limes.
