The roof rat is the most common rodent to invade Las Vegas and Henderson homes and they can be very destructive. Roof rats, as their name indicates, like high places, building their nests outdoors in trees or block walls and indoors in attics or upper levels of the home. Roof rats are very good climbers and can get into the home by running along tree branches, cables or wires.

How Do I Know If I Have Roof Rats?

Rats are nocturnal — that is, they are most active at night — and they live in hidden areas, so you can have a major rat problem in your home even if you never see any. Because of this, you need to keep an eye – and an ear – out for signs of rodent presence. Inspect your yard and home thoroughly. If the answer to any of the following questions is yes, you may have a rat problem.

• Do you see droppings, especially around dog or cat dishes or pet food containers?
• Have you had visual sightings of roof rats on fences, block walls, trees or eaves?
• Do you find hollowed citrus and other chewed fruit in your yard?
• Do you hear scratching sounds from the attic after dusk?
• Are your pets sometimes unsettled for no apparent reason?
• Have you ever removed a drowned roof rat from your swimming pool?
• Do you find dark smudge marks along block walls or outside patio areas?

Roof rat Control

Once rats have invaded your garden or landscaping, unless your house is truly rodent proof, it is only a matter of time before you find evidence of them indoors. Experience has shown it is less time consuming to control rodents before their numbers get too high, and fewer traps and less bait will be required if control is started early. Many home owners in the Las Vegas and Henderson area will often opt to hire a professional extermination company that is trained to deal with roof rats before the pesky rodents take over their home.

Resources ~ UC IPM/UCDavis: Rats