They re a specialized rat that has adapted to the modern lifestyle of humans here in the desert.
Roof rats in chandler az.
Their ability to easily travel from home to home makes this rodent a headache for homeowners.
Roof rats in chandler az and surrounding cities are a growing problem.
Why are they so common in the phoenix metro.
In this blog we ll review some of the signs you have roof rats and when you need to call arizona s best choice for services.
Gilbert ranked 2nd and tempe ranked 5th on the list.
Roof rats are small and only need a hole the size of a quarter to squeeze through and get into your attic or home.
There are many reasons for this but one of the primary ones is that the citrus trees in many backyards in the valley provide a consistent food source for rats while attics are generally undisturbed by local.
Over the last ten years we have seen a steady migration of roof rat activity starting from the phoenix area down south east through chandler queen creek and surrounding areas.
If you have roof rats or have seen roof rats in your neighborhood call the maricopa county environmental complaint line at 602 506 6616 or log your complaint at www maricopa gov envsvc.
A common sign of roof rats is hollowed out fruit shells on the ground under citrus trees.
Gilbert and tempe are among the worst in the country for roof rats based on data compiled from more than 300 terminix branches.
Gilbert and tempe are both in the top 5 for roof rats nationwide.
Fortunately according to maricopa county vector control periodic testing results have thus far been negative for tularemia hantavirus and plague in area roof rats.
Roof rats can be cautious.
While roof rats are not native to arizona households in the greater phoenix area have reportedly seen an increase of this rodent species in the past few years.
Roof rats love warmer temperatures which is why their populations tend to explode during a warm spring.
The rat zapper should be placed close to a roof rat nest or in their runways said ernie henson president and owner of stormin norman termite and pest control.
Roof rats first invaded the east valley in 2001 in phoenix and from there spread throughout mesa chandler tempe and gilbert.