Pack Rat Nests
Pack rats often live in caves, attics, or abandoned animal burrows. Because other animals like moles, gophers, and chipmunks make their burrows near flowerbeds, it’s common to find pack rats in gardens.
Damage from Pack Rats in the Garden
The pack rat diet consists mainly of plants. Therefore, they won’t hesitate to steal seedlings, flowers, fruits, nuts, and berries from gardens. The rodents also damage nearby saplings and fruit trees by stripping off their bark and clipping away small twigs to add to their nests.
Even without these foraging habits, pack rats in the garden would still be harmful. The rodents carry parasites that can cause damage to plants. Their unsanitary nests are also built from feces and crystalized urine, which attracts even more pests.
Control
While helpful, barriers are not a reliable way to keep pack rats away from garden plants. A single hole or gap in a fence provides an opportunity for the small, agile pests to gain access. Once you spot a pack rat in the garden, contact Critter Control for expert removal.