Roof Rat Citrus Damage Pictures

From rat bites and scratches to saliva and urine rats can cause many diseases.

Roof rat citrus damage pictures.

Fruit rats or roof rats as they re commonly called thrive in warm fruit bearing areas. Ecology of roof rats and native rats. The rat zapper should be placed close to a roof rat nest or in their runways said ernie henson president and owner of stormin norman termite and pest control. Other identifying traits include their pointed noses hairless ears and dark fur with light colored underbellies.

Their bodies are seven or eight inches in length though their bald scaly tails add up to ten more inches. 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. Spp or cotton rat sigmodon arizonae. In livestock feed yards and barns roof rats often burrow.

Roof rats have soft and smooth fur that is typically brown with intermixed spots of black. In nut orchards roof rats often nest around the base of trees. While casual observations of roof rats or native rats can. Roof rats get ferocious and tend to bite or scratch when threatened or cornered.

Roof rats are long and thin rodents that have large eyes and ears a pointed nose and a scaly tail. Adult roof rats measure 6 8 16 20 cm when combining their head and body length. 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. The roof rat can appear similar to the norway rat native arizona pack rat neotoma.

Roof rats are a health hazard being one of the oldest transmitters of diseases. Roof rats are frequent visitors to yards and homes across the country. 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. 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. 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. Install rat guard around the trunks of the citrus trees. These bites or scratches can cause what is known as rat bite fever or even tetanus.

Their undersides are often white gray or black.