Appearance:
Roof rats are also known as black rats, although they are usually dark brown or black-gray in color, with a white-gray or black underside. They are sleek and slender, with large ears and a scaly tail that can be longer than their head and body.

Size:
Approximately 13-18 inches in length including the tail. They are generally smaller than Norway rats.

Behavior:
Roof rats are omnivorous, but they prefer fruit, vegetables, and cereal products. The food habits of roof rats resemble those of tree squirrels, since they both like a wide variety of fruit and nuts. They also feed on a variety of ornamental and native plant materials. Roof rats usually require water daily, although its diet may provide an adequate amount if high in water content. As with other rodent species, they are prolific breeders.
Roof rats are nocturnal feeders. They see poorly, relying more on smell, taste, touch and hearing to find food. If the food is in an exposed area and too large to be eaten quickly, yet not too large to be moved, they will usually carry it to a hiding place for consumption. They may also hoard food to be eaten later. They have an excellent sense of balance, and can often be seen at night running along overhead utility lines. They may live in trees or attics and climb down to a food source.

Habitat:
Roof rats are more aerial than Norway rats in their habitat selection and often will live in trees. Landscaped residential or industrial areas provide good nesting sites, as does vegetation of riverbanks and streams. They will often move into sugarcane and citrus groves and have been found in palm trees. Roof rats are sometimes found living in or around poultry or other farm buildings as well as in industrial sites where food and shelter are available.

Roof rats are agile climbers, utilizing their long tails for balance, and frequently enter buildings from the roof or utility lines, which they use to travel from area to area. They are sometimes found in garbage cans and sewer systems, though these habitats are preferred more by Norway rats.

Medical and Economic Significance:
Roof rats pose both a health and safety hazard. It has been implicated in the transmission of a number of diseases to humans, including murine typhus, leptospirosis, salmonellosis, rat-bite fever, and plague. It is also capable of transmitting a number of diseases to domestic animals and is suspected in the transference of ectoparasites from one place to another.

In addition to consuming and contaminating stored food and animal feed, roof rats will gnaw on wiring (which can pose a fire hazard), and tear up insulation to use it for nesting material. They may also feed on the fruit and vegetable portions of commercial and residential trees and garden plants.

Control:
Roof rats are very sensitive to changes in their environment and have a strong tendency to avoid new objects in their environment, so baiting or trapping on the ground or floor may have little effect. They may take several days before they will approach a bait station or trap.

Proper sanitation is somewhat more effective in lessening Roof rat infestations. Secure garbage cans with heavy lids and avoid letting it accumulate. Store bulk foods, bird seed and dry pet food in tight-fitting containers, and remove standing water outside in pet food bowls, etc. Harvesting citrus and other fruit in a timely manner and picking up fallen fruit promptly will also help reduce Roof rat populations.

Seal any openings larger than 1/4 inch to exclude both rats and mice. Openings where utility pipes enter buildings should be sealed tightly with metal or concrete. Seal all vents and openings with concrete or heavy-duty metal screening. Equip floor drains and sewer pipes with tight-fitting grates with openings less than 1/4 inch in diameter. Doors, windows and screens should fit tightly; it may be necessary to cover edges with sheet metal to prevent gnawing.

Outside, mow, trim or remove ground cover plants that grow over one foot in height. Stack firewood, lumber, and other materials at least one foot away from walls and fences. Prune the tops of palm trees and remove dead fronds. Remove tree limbs that overhang roofs, and prune trees so that branches do not touch fences, overhead wires, or the branches of adjacent trees.

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