Roof Rat - Control, Removal, Trapping Rattus Rattus

11.09.2004 - The common name of the species called rattus rattus is the Roof Rat. Sure, some people call it the Black Rat or the Citrus Rat, but Roof Rat is the most commonly used name. There's a reason for this name. This rat likes to run across your roof. They may do so in the course of their nightly scavenging, but in reality, if you've got rats living in your roof, they're there for a reason, and it aint to eat the shingles. They're probably on the roof because they've found some holes there that lead into the attic, and rats love to live inside warm, safe, dry attics.

In the case of this house, the attic was infested with rats, and yes, they were entering the attic through holes found on the roof. If you will look up into the shadowy corner, where the eave meets the roof, you'll see a gap. The rats just jump right in there, and that leads right into the inside of the eave and the attic.

I normally set all the traps inside the attic, and catch all the rats there.  However, this house had a unique architecture with no attic at all.  You may not be able to tell from this photo, but the roof was extremely steep, at about a 45 degree angle.  I had to lean my ladder flush against the roof to get up here.  Because I was unable to set traps in the attic, I knew that I had to trap the rats outside, as they came in and out of the house.  Thus, I screwed several traps into the roof, as seen above, and sure enough, I caught several rats.

After removing eight Roof Rats from this rat roof, the running and scratching noises in the ceiling stopped, and I sealed the holes permanently with steel and a special black sealant.  The customer is now rat-free, and I have first-hand proof that this rat has earned its name.

Do it yourself: Visit my How To Get Rid of Rats page for tips and advice.
Other rodents: Or visit my Get Rid of Mice page or Get Rid of Squirrels page.
Get professional help: Visit my Nationwide Pro Directory of wildlife removal experts.

What to do about rats in roof - The roof of a home can fall prey to a number of nuisance animals. Roofs are secluded and usually poorly maintained. Most homeowners will not acknowledge an issue in the roof until it has progressed to the point of disturbing the activities in the main areas of the home. To get rats out of the roof you will need to find out where they are entering. When you locate this spot it needs to be repaired and sealed with something the rodents cannot easily chew through. Closing up the hole is a big win in this war against nuisance creatures. Once the hole is closed the rats can be trapped and removed from the home. Rats in the roof can be difficult to reach and traps can be tricky to set. If you have an issue with rats in the roof, consider calling a professional to advise you on the situation. Most companies will have the necessary equipment and materials needed for difficult jobs of this nature. If you’re determined to take on the rats by yourself, remember to place your traps in areas where you’ve noticed rat activity. Droppings, urine and chew marks are all good indications that rats will return to that area.

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