They prefer warm weather so unless you live on a tropical island with a lot of palm trees you will never have to worry about real palm rats.
Roof rats in palm tree.
But roof rats are just as problematic.
Roof rats also known as palm rats palm tree rats black rats ship rats or house rats are the leading rodent pest in florida and in other tropical climates.
Any vent on your roof that has an unobstructed opening of over half an inch is an open door into your home.
They are found more commonly in areas with a tropical climate and they are climbers.
Roof rats rattus rattus sometimes called black rats fruit rats or house rats are aerial very agile climbers and usually live and nest above ground in shrubs trees and dense vegetation such as ivy.
What is a roof rat.
Roof rats are long and thin rodents that have large eyes and ears a pointed nose and a scaly tail.
Fruit is one of their main food sources.
These rats love fruit but will eat almost anything else that comes their way.
They can also move from palm trees in your yard to the roof of your home and then into the rest of the structure bringing with them disease and damage like other rodents rats gnaw on things but because of their greater size they can cause far more damage.
They are climbers and prefer to nest off the ground in trees like palms which is how they got their common name.
Roof rats actually prefer to live in trees particularly in palm trees where they have plenty of protection from the elements as well as from prying eyes of predators or angry homeowners ready to get rid of them.
If the openings on your roof are not properly sealed then the rats will gladly move into your attic.
These pests like to nest above the ground in trees especially the palm tree thus earning their unique name.