Looking for Effective Rodent Management and Prevention Solutions for Your Facility?
It is not unheard of for a tenant to try to cancel their lease due to a rodent infestation such as roof rats. Conquistador Pest & Termite can deal with all sorts of pest problems so that the rental property owner can rest easy. In the situation where a tenant is claiming their house is uninhabitable due to a roof rat infestation, we are able to determine if the roof rats are invading your tenants’ living space or if are they confined to one area.
Professionally trained in rodent management, we know what to do in this situation so the tenant doesn’t have to move and the owner doesn’t have to lose income.
Where Did Roof Rats Come From?
Since they were first spotted in 2002 in Central Phoenix, roof rats have migrated south and are now running along Tucson’s rooftops. These desert newcomers are not the same as a ‘desert rat’. They are not Indigenous to the Sonoran Desert, however, they have no trouble thriving in our arid climate. The roof rat population has increased so much that by 2017, Phoenix was rated #1 out of the top 15 cities in America infested with roof rats.
How to Spot Roof Rats
Recently, a rash of reports has been made about these rodent pests being found in homes and apartments in the northwest, as well as downtown Tucson businesses. Roof rats are not easy to spot because they are nocturnal. Some signs of roof rats can be easier to look for like droppings, tracks, gnaw marks, grease marks, urine stains, live or dead rodents, and rodent sounds. Because identifying the signs of rats is the first stage before knowing how to get rid of them, we strongly suggest having a trained pest control company with rodent experience perform an inspection.
How Roof Rats Are Harmful
Rodents are notorious for carrying germs and diseases, roof rats are no exception and are even capable of transmitting a number of diseases to tenant pets.
They have strong climbing skills and prefer to live above thus earning them the name, roof rat. This makes them more likely to enter a home or business from the roof rather than the foundation. Needing as little as ½” space, they have little trouble finding entry through attics, roof eaves, and small vent openings. Roof rats tend to be aggressive in their efforts to find food and shelter and will destructively chew wiring – a fire hazard – and wood to get into your facility. Roof rats will make nests from insulation and once inside, they can multiply quickly.
Not only are roof rats destructive to your property, but they can also damage your landscaping, especially fruit trees. Roof rats will often eat the pulp from citrus while the fruit is still hanging on the tree, leaving only the empty rind. What is critical is to get the fruit off the trees on your property as soon as possible! But rats don’t just enjoy hanging fruit, they will eat just about anything, making them notorious dumpster divers.
How to Get Rid of Roof Rats
- Advise tenants to keep food supplies away.
- Trim trees, especially fruit trees, and bushes away from the property.
- Keep water away from the exterior of your building
- Seal all the windows, doors, and cracks.
- Work with a qualified pest management professional to determine the source of the infestation and potential entry areas in your home. This can help to prevent pest challenges before they start.
Rodents are virtually impossible to eliminate on your own. They are intelligent and will evade DIY methods like traps. Time and time again, our experience at Conquistador Pest & Termite has been proven beneficial to both the tenant and the rental property owner. Call Conquistador for a free property evaluation.
