What Every Sarasota County Property Owner Ought To Know About Roof Rats
A silent invader circles around your Sarasota County home seeking an entry point. In the dead of night, they scurry up drainpipes, race across tree branches, and teeter on utility lines. They can slip into your home through a hole as small as a quarter. And because they are nocturnal and neophobic, you rarely know they’re there. For months, these silent invaders can wreak havoc on your Sarasota County property.
If you’ve encountered a roof rat in your home, it’s time to get them out with pest control solutions in Sarasota from Keller’s Pest Control.
Roof Rats In Florida
Roof rats are common in the southeastern region of the U.S. They love moderate temperatures and warm, moist climates. Sarasota County is the perfect place for them to make a nest inside your home. The roof rat goes by several names:
- Palm rat
- Fruit rat
- Black rat
- Ship rat
Often, roof rats are confused with the brown Norway rats. Roof rats have black or gray fur. Instead of the blunt noses on Norway rats, roof rats have long pointy noses. Their fur is smooth and their tails are longer than their bodies. Their bodies, however, are smaller than the Norway rat's.
The roof rats gained notoriety by helping to spread the Black Plague in Europe, which killed over 25 million people. While the Black Plague has largely been eradicated, roof rats still present a danger to your home and the safety of your loved ones.
The Dangers Of Roof Rats
Roof rats gravitate towards nesting in high places like attics, garages, and even kitchen cabinets. They scavenge for food in your kitchen area, often contaminating food sources. Roof rats are known to spread harmful diseases like salmonellosis and leptospirosis, otherwise known as rat-bite fever. Untreated, these illnesses can cause serious side effects, even death. In addition, the presence of roof rats in your home can trigger allergies and asthma attacks for the most susceptible in your home. A roof rat infestation can pose health risks to your family. They can also do damage to the structure of your home.
Like all rodents, roof rats have incisor teeth that must be ground down by gnawing. Once inside your home, they target furniture, wood, PVC piping, insulation, and wiring. They will literally chew through just about anything. An unchecked infestation from roof rats in your Sarasota County home can result in higher utility bills because of missing insulation, leaks from punctured piping, and electrical fires from exposed wires.
Because roof rats are expert climbers, they can climb into out-of-the-way spots in your home. There, they can nest and breed, doubling their populations in a matter of weeks. This makes it hard to prevent and eradicate roof rats from your home.
Five Tips For Roof Rat Prevention
Here are some key prevention tips Sarasota County homeowners can utilize to keep roof rats out. Eliminating entry points and modifying habitat are important steps in prevention.
- Ensure all vents and windows are screened.
- Install chimney caps.
- Seal any possible holes or entry points with wool or caulking.
- Secure food and water sources like birdseed, pet food, garbage, and standing water.
- Prune and trim shrubbery and tree limbs that can be used as a rodent highway to your rooftop or around the foundation of your home.
Keller’s Pest Control is your source for professional advice and assistance to help you keep your home safe from roof rats. With over 20 years servicing homeowners in Florida, our family-owned pest control business offers comprehensive pest control services to keep your Sarasota County home rodent-free all year long. Call us today for a free estimate.