Are There Pack Rats under the House?
Property owners with a pack rat under the deck, house, or shed may have a bigger problem than they realize. While the pests share rodent behaviors, like gnawing, with Norway rats and other common species, pack rats also create some unique problems for homeowners.
Appearance
Also called wood rats, pack rats have large eyes, prominent pink ears, and a coat that ranges from gray to dark brown with a lighter underbelly. Unlike the skinny, scaly tail of a Norway rat, a pack rat's tail is thick and furry.
Behavior
These animals steal items to build their nests. A pack rat will use almost anything for this construction project, from twigs and acorns to shiny tinfoil and colorful plastic.
Pack rats also store food and raise young in their nests, which become solid from layers of debris and waste that build up over time. Under houses and decks, these structures can grow to massive sizes and become home to other animals, including rodents, spiders, and cockroaches.
Pack Rat Removal
Due to their nesting habits, simply trapping pack rats isn’t enough. Locating and removing nests, which may contain juvenile pack rats as well as other undesirable pests, is crucial to exclude these rodents from a property.
Homeowners who find evidence of a nest of pack rats under the house should call the wildlife experts at Critter Control for complete, humane removal.