Pack Rats: Infestation and Damage
Species
What Are Pack Rats?
Pack rats, also called woodrats, are native rodents that look neater than the rats most people picture. They have soft, thick fur, large ears coated in short hair, and a tail that is furry instead of scaly, usually darker on top and lighter below. Those features set them apart from Norway rats and roof rats at a glance. They are best known for collecting. A pack rat keeps hauling small things home, such as spoons, coins, buttons and jewelry, and its stash grows over time. Shiny items seem to attract it most. If it finds something it likes better while carrying an object, it often drops the first one and takes the new one, as if making a trade. They can be noisy at night, too.
Signs a Woodrat Has Moved In
The nest is usually the giveaway. Woodrats build bulky piles of sticks, leaves, bark and odd objects that can reach several feet across, at the base of trees, under brush, beneath sheds, or inside barns, outbuildings and stored vehicles. A heap of twigs where no person stacked them is a strong clue.
Other signs
- Droppings collected in one or a few spots, rather than scattered the way mouse droppings are
- Small items missing from a shed or garage, such as screws, foil, keys or bottle caps
- Chewed wiring, hoses or upholstery in cars, boats, mowers and RVs that sit unused
- Piles of gnawed nut shells, seeds or fruit near the nest
- Scratching or thumping at night in an outbuilding
Where they live in Florida: The eastern woodrat is found in North and Central Florida, in hardwood hammocks, upland woods and rural edges. A separate population, the Key Largo woodrat, lives only in the hardwood hammocks of north Key Largo. Woodrats are most likely on rural or wooded lots, around sheds, barns, cabins and equipment, and they seldom move into the living areas of suburban homes.
When: Woodrats are active all year, so signs can appear in any month. If what you are finding is in an attic and the droppings are scattered, a roof rat is the more likely cause. See the rats page for comparison.
What Do Pack Rats Eat?
Inside buildings, pack rats move around at night gathering food and nesting material, mostly seeds, nuts and fruit.
What Do Wood Rats Eat?
Woodrats climb well and feed mostly after dark, though one is sometimes seen during the day. What they eat depends on what grows nearby. Their diet is largely plants: leaves, grasses, buds, bark, berries, acorns and other nuts, seeds, small bulbs and mushrooms. Stored people food and pet food in sheds and garages can draw them in as well.
Signs of Pack Rat Infestation and Damage
A pack rat’s home is a bulky structure of sticks and debris that grows over time. One animal may keep more than one den, and a den in a good spot can stay in use for years, sometimes passing from one woodrat to the next. Outside of mating season and raising young, each one lives alone. In most yards their impact is small. They may nibble garden plants or ornamentals, but they rarely become numerous enough to do serious harm, and nationally they rank as a minor pest. In some rural areas, though, they can be a real local problem.
Are Pack Rats Dangerous?
They are not aggressive, but they can be costly. Woodrats chew through wiring, hoses and insulation, and they pull stuffing from mattresses, cushions and car seats to line their nests. Vehicles, AC units and pool equipment are favorite spots, and chewed wires there can mean expensive repairs and even a fire risk. They also spoil stored food and can damage landscape plants.
Their nests can shelter other pests, including fleas, ticks, mites, spiders, scorpions and kissing bugs, which may go looking for a new host once the woodrat is gone. Gnawed materials and droppings are the usual evidence. Woodrats living in a building often still head outdoors for most of their food.
pack Rat Photos
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