PLEASE
NOTE: The appearance of roof
rats is NOT a sign of neighborhood deterioration. They are NOT spreading
incrementally block-by-block throughout the Valley.
For example, these creatures can be unknowingly stored away in moving
boxes by someone relocating from another area.
They seek neighborhoods that meet their needs.
So be sure yours doesn’t!
What are
common signs of roof rat activity?
-
Visual sightings on power lines, trees, bushes, patios,
etc.
-
Hollowed out citrus and other fruit
-
Rat droppings
-
Noises in the attic and walls
-
Gnawing sounds and gnaw marks around roof eaves
-
Damage to plastics and coverings on electrical wires
-
Unsettled pets
What
do I do if I see evidence on my property?
1.
Call the Maricopa County Vector number 602-506-6616
- hit 3 and report under the category of “Smoking automobiles and
other environmental issues”
2.
Check the City of Tempe's website www.tempe.gov/neighborhoods/roofrats.htm
3.
For further information contact the City’s Neighborhood Services
Division at 480-350-8234 or neighborhoods@tempe.gov
How to
handle dead rats, rat droppings, and nesting areas [Taken from Marin/Sonoma
Mosquito and Vector Control District handout]
-
Use rubber gloves.
-
Ventilate the affected area the night before cleanup by
opening doors and windows.
-
Spray dead rats, droppings, nests and surrounding areas
with a 10% bleach solution (one part bleach and 9 parts water).
Allow at least 15 minutes of contact time before removal.
-
Clean the affected area with paper towels or a mop.
DO NOT SWEEP OR VACUUM.
Double bag both the disinfectant-soaked rat and cleanup materials
securely in plastic bags and seal. Dispose
in city trash containers.
-
Before removing gloves, wash in disinfectant, then soap and
water. Dispose of gloves with
other household waste. Thoroughly
wash hands with soap and water.
Where have
roof rats been found?
-
In swimming pools, laundry rooms, attics, garages and
patios. They’ve been seen on
power lines in the alleys. Roof
rats spend 90% of their life 4 feet or more off the ground.
When do
they travel?
How do they
travel?
-
Roof rats are strongly arboreal and travel along power
lines to trees, oleanders, vines and roofs.
They can climb up brick walls and other rough surfaces.
They can jump 2 feet straight up and 4 feet horizontally (double the
horizontal distance if they are jumping from a height).
Bear in mind that ground covers and compost bins also provide safe
travel routes and nests.
How do they
enter homes?
-
They enter homes and garden sheds through any opening
larger than a nickel. They follow pipes down from the attic, gnaw through
drywall and enter the kitchen or base sink cabinets.
They chew through wood, plastic, aluminum siding, sheet rock and soft
metals.
Why attics?
What do
they eat and drink?
-
They love to eat citrus fruit (because it serves as both a
food and water source) and other fruit (pomegranates, figs, etc.), nuts,
seeds and stored grains, and vegetables in your garden.
They also eat insects, lizards, tree bark, soap, paper, hides,
and beeswax.
-
Bird seed (both in feeders and stored in bags) and dog and
cat food left outside after dark are favorites. Roof rats eat Queen Palm
tree fruits in the summer when citrus isn’t available.
-
Water sources include leaky faucets and sprinkler heads,
bird baths, fountains and ornamental ponds, irrigation, air conditioner
condensation drip lines, saucers under potted plants, and pet water dishes.
They will chew through metal and plastic pipes to reach water.
How do I
seal my home?
-
The most extensive damage occurs when roof rats enter the
home, so the first goal is to keep them out.
-
Use stucco diamond mesh available at building material
suppliers to screen and seal all holes and vents leading into your home or
garden shed. It cuts and molds
very easily. For the rat, this
mesh is like biting into small razor blades.
-
Look for holes in exterior walls and near hot water
heaters, washers and dryers, dishwashers, and under sinks.
Don’t forget to screen off the sewer stacks on the roof.
-
All cracks should be caulked.
-
Stuff the cover of the air conditioning line that runs from
the outside unit into the attic with steel wool or copper mesh to prevent
rats from climbing up the insulated pipe inside the cover.
Look for scratch marks on the insulation, and then set a snap trap
there to catch them the next time they use that entrance.
Harvesting
citrus and other fruit
-
Pick all fruit (ripe or not) on citrus and other fruit and
nut trees and pick up any fallen fruit.
Do this promptly and completely.
Fruit and nut trees having the most activity are the ones which come
in contact with other trees, houses, fences or with power lines running
through.
-
Donate any excess fruit your family won’t be able to eat
to the closest food bank..
-
Next winter, when the roof rats are under control or
eradicated altogether, enjoy your harvest, but be sure to pick your fruit
promptly and donate what you can’t use.
You don’t need to remove fruit trees from your landscape.
Manicuring
landscape
-
A clean yard is a deterrent.
-
Rake under your trees and shrubbery.
Prune fruit trees so the ground under them is open and visible.
Remove wood piles and brush piles from your yard.
Store wood and lumber piles at least 18 inches above the ground and
12 inches away from walls. Thick
ground covers should be thinned.
-
Keep your palm trees trimmed.
Roof rats nest in the skirts of old fronds, as well as in piles of
debris and hollow trees.
-
Thin out bushes until you can see daylight through them.
Oleanders are particularly prone to harbor roof rats in the summer.
Thin bougainvilleas as well.
Don’t feed
them!
-
Don’t leave pet food out, especially overnight.
Keep dog feces picked up.
-
It would be best to stop filling your bird feeders for the
next few months. Otherwise,
provide just the amount of bird seed that will be consumed in a day and
sweep up fallen seeds on the ground before sunset.
Store bags of bird seed in sealed, rat-proof containers.
-
Store bulk foods in sealed, rat-proof containers.
-
Keep garbage containers tightly covered.
Snap traps
and bait stations
-
To prevent rats
from entering your property, or to eliminate rats that have already entered
your property, set snap traps in your laundry room and garden shed baited
with creamy peanut butter. Don’t
put much on the bait tab so the rat will have to work at it to get it off.
This will ensure that the trap will trip.
Place the traps well away from pets and small children.
Roof rats are nervous and cautious of new objects, so leave traps in
the same location for at least a week before moving them.
-
Bait stations made of plastic, cardboard or metal provide a
protected place for rats to feed. They
allow you to place poison bait in some locations where it would otherwise be
difficult because of hazards to non-target animals.
-
Place two bait stations in your yard, 4 feet or higher off
the ground. Optimal locations
are in your citrus tree and anywhere near potential rat pathways, such as
close proximity of wires to house roofs, trees or oleanders.
-
It’s important to close the bait station opening in
the morning to protect wild birds that might be attracted.
Open it up in the late afternoon about sunset.
-
The practice of wiring poison bait blocks directly to tree
branches causes accidental poisoning of cats and wildlife.
Use poison bait blocks only in bait stations and slide the blocks all
the way to the back.
-
Bait stations can be purchased at cost through Barry
Paceley at www.roofrat.net
-
Residents will be responsible for purchasing and placing
the bromadiolone poison in the bait station.
Read the entire label first and strictly adhere to all instructions,
restrictions and precautions.
-
Bromadiolone is sold as “Just One Bite” and can be
purchased at feed and hardware stores. “Just
One Bite” is an anti-coagulant that kills rats in 3-5 days.
-
It is important that the resident’s home is properly
sealed so the poisoned rat doesn’t enter the house and die, creating a bad
odor which may be hard to remove.
What
doesn’t work
-
Rats quickly learn safe travel routes through yards to
avoid dogs. Cats will kill
dispersing juvenile rats, but are rarely able to handle an adult roof rat.
-
There is no evidence that ultrasonic and electromagnetic
devices drive rodents away. There
is evidence that ultrasonic devices can cause hearing loss in pets,
especially dogs.
-
Maricopa County Vector Control tested Coca Cola (rumor has
it that roof rats can’t burp and die from drinking it), but found that it
was ineffective. In fact, the
rats loved it.
-
Don’t use d-Con. If
pets or wild birds nibble on a rat killed with d-Con, they can become sick.
Long term
solutions
-
Strongly consider xeriscaping your yard.
Xeriscape doesn’t have to be gravel and a couple of cactuses.
There are many lovely options.
-
Combine xeriscape with a citrus-free yard to create a very
effective control against roof rats.
-
Maintain a defensive line on your property by continuing
the use of bait stations, keeping a clean yard and removing pet food and
water dishes at night.
The
City thanks the Rural/Geneva Neighborhood
Association and the Arcadia
Neighborhood
for providing this information.
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