It’s true, Arizona: Pack Rat season is officially here.  As the nights grow colder, pack rats and other rodents seek shelter from the elements in the warmth of our homes.  In the summer months, these critters will simply build a nest outdoors and feed on the bounty of backyard gardens and fruit trees.  When temperatures plummet however, attics and crawl spaces as well as common living areas in the home become too inviting for rodents to resist.  Fortunately, there are effective and humane solutions available to prevent infestation as winter draws nearer.

An Amazing Animal; A Formidable Opponent
Arizona is home to several species of wood rats who share a common interest in collecting all manner of fascinating debris ranging from sparkly earrings to dog feces.  Those who study packrats tend to consider them to one of the more attractive and interesting of all rodent species.  Indeed, they are more adorable than other rats with their soft fur, shorter thicker less creepy tails, and large ears.   Due to their considerable intelligence and because of their larger comparative size, the wood rat or packrat can be difficult to trap. When trapped, they may even attempt to defend themselves with their teeth.  Rats are generally capable animals, able to locate food, water and shelter and begin to form hierarchical social groups in a very short time.  To see packrats trapped in Arizona by Arizona Department of Game and Fish, check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMngNrJ_LYc  .

Keeping Rats out of Homes
Although rats like the wood rat/packrat can be charming and adorable you certainly don’t want them taking up residence in your home.  Pack rats can cause serious damage to property by chewing belongings and spoiling food. Evidence of gnawing is the most obvious sign of a pack rat presence, as are fecal pellets (much larger than those of a mouse) and spoiled, rotting or stale food.

The best way to deal with wood rats or any rodents in human dwellings is to avoid attracting them at all and preventing their entry into a structure in the first place. Avoid leaving human and pet foods out, and eliminate shelter for rodents around homes. Do not allow brush, rock or junk piles to accumulate near dwellings where rats could take shelter. Rats are able to squeeze through any opening they can fit their head through, so homeowners should make sure their house is not accessible to rats by sealing off cracks and crevices as well as structural penetrations of all kinds.

If pack rats are already inside a house, the most humane option is live trapping followed by release in the wild, preferably a good distance away but near a source of water. Poison rat bait is very dangerous to other animals and humans if consumed and also causes secondary poisoning in opportunistic predators.  There are methods of baiting and trapping that can minimize these risks to other animals. Traps also permit rats to be removed from the home, thereby avoiding problems from animal bodies decaying inside walls and floors.

Taking measures to prevent infestation will greatly reduce the risk of property damage and exposure to diseases such as Hantavirus here in Arizona.  Options and information for preventing such an infestation in your home are varied and widely available through licensed wildlife and pest management professionals such as Rodent Proof L.L.C. .