ROOF RAT aka BLACK RATS

Roof rats first arrived in the “new world” in the late 1,400’s when the first explorers arrived. In the Las Vegas Valley roof rats have been documented since 1990. The first time they were identified was in the south/central part of the valley.  The arrival of roof rats in Las Vegas is associated with the importing of palm trees.

This species is mostly found in the Southeast and along the West Coast of the United States.  The roof rat’s origin is the forests of Southeast Asia and they started expanding their territory by getting rides from caravans going into India and the eastern part of Europe in the 11^th and 12^th centuries during the Crusades.

This rat is medium sized around 8 ounces and measures 16 inches including the slender body and a long tail that is actually longer than their body.  This rat may not be totally black in color with the belly varying from grey to creamy white.  Generally roof rats have litters of from 6 to 12 pups however larger litters have been recorded.  The gestation period ranges from 21-25 days.  If the female roof rat lives for a year she might have from 3 to 6 litters.

The Norway rat and the black roof rat can coexist in the same regions where they live.  A Norway rat prefers to live close to the ground and becomes dependent on humans for food.  The black roof rat likes to live in elevated areas like treetops and roofs – which make this type of rat more elusive and less dependent on humans for their meals than other varieties of rats.

To keep the black roof rat at bay make sure your shrubs and trees do not get too dense and cut them back so they do not touch any of your structures.  You should keep your yards clean of rubbish as this can contribute to infestations.

If you think you might have an infestation call a licensed professional pest control company.

GLOBAL PEST SERVICES in Las Vegas is a licensed pest control company that is qualified to handle all your pest elimination needs.  Call our office at 702-657-0091 or go to our web site- to speak with us for all your pest control needs.  Get a quote now!

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