Roof Rat Burrow

The norway rat digs tunnels to nest because it prefers to be on ground level.

Roof rat burrow.

Rats create underground pathways or burrows from their nest to food sources and to escape predators. Roof rats can be dangerous they carry disease. Rat burrows usually contain a main entrance and 1 or 2 exit holes away from the main entrance. Roof rats are a health hazard being one of the oldest transmitters of diseases.

Rats create underground pathways or burrows from their nest to food sources and to escape predators. Rat burrows usually contain a main entrance and 1 or 2 exit holes away from the main entrance. As the dry ice melts it releases large volumes of carbon dioxide which fills the burrow and suffocates the rats. You ll also notice fresh dirt just out of the entrance in a fan shape created when the rodents excavate dirt from the hole.

They can also chew through electrical wires water pipes and cause other damage to your home. In homes they can be found in attics wall voids and other elevated areas including roofs. Once you have identified that you have roof rats you can work to eliminate rats from your property in the following ways. These rats are about 16 inches in length including the tail and grayish brown in color.

Burrows in the ground are a good indication of norway rats. If residents find a rat burrow near the home it most likely belongs to a norway rat not a roof rat. Pet and laboratory rats are a variety of norway rats. Norway rats like to live at ground level or underground so they commonly dig holes.

However in a hot dry environment roof rats burrow in shallow cavities beneath concrete slabs sidewalks or tree roots. The entrance will be roughly 2 4 inches in diameter and smooth and compacted from the rodents going in and out of the burrow. Roof rats are darker in color and better climbers so they typically nest above the ground. These burrows are often located under bushes or other types of dense vegetation.

One of the two species of rats that live near people is a burrower. The last way to kill a rat is to use the protection of the burrow against it. Check along walls and grass for runways. This sets them apart from their burrowing or nesting counterparts who are more likely to be found in basements.

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. Major cities like chicago have started utilizing this approach by filling the entrance of the burrow with dry ice. These bites or scratches can cause what is known as rat bite fever or even tetanus. Check along walls and grass for runways.

When foraging outdoors roof rats prefer yards with fruit or nut bearing trees. These burrows are often located under bushes or other types of dense vegetation.