Whether they are roof rats also called black rats or norway rats munching on your fruit the average homeowner can usually eradicate them from the landscape without calling in the professionals.
Rats and possums in the roof.
The first thing to note here is that trapping possums requires a permit.
Rats and mice constantly move around except when nesting.
Yes possums can eat rats.
Research online the most effective ways to do this.
Roof rats become sexually mature between two and five months producing four to six litters per year that consist of six to eight young each.
Possums mainly catch and eat rats roof rats and mice apart from preying on other rodents.
In dense populations these rodents will establish a social hierarchy wherein dominant males mate more than subordinate males.
The common lifespan of these rodents is about one year.
Step 1 in order to assess the severity of the rat problem and to get a better idea of where to bait and trap you will first need to perform a thorough inspection of the premises.
That factor also creates a distinctive possum smell which is easily recognised with a bit of experience.
In fact not just rats they are found to feed on most of the rodents that cause problems to humans.
What you ll want to look for are any signs that the rats are present including droppings tracks gnaw marks burrows runways and rodent sounds.
Rats are always omnivorous whereas possums are usually herbivores and opportunistic omnivores.
If you catch a possum you must release it within 24 hours and it must be at night.
Get rid of roof rats in four basic steps.
Possum sprays nurseries hardware stores and supermarkets stock a range of possum deterrent sprays or you can make your own.
Some other ways to deter them are.
Unlike rats and mice they produce a large volume of urine so stains on a ceiling will usually indicate possums.
If you have roof rats you may see rat droppings around your home outside your home or in your yard.
Rats have long hairless tail while possums have long hairy tail with a bushy appearance.
The dietary pattern of a possum makes it a highly beneficial species for humans.
These droppings may be near the dropped eaten fruit mentioned in 1.
Usually possums are nocturnal but rats are both nocturnal and diurnal.
Put the trap in the roof near the possum s access point and check it every morning.
You can also put spikes along fences to keep them from using these as a highway.
Possum is native to oceania but rats have a worldwide distribution.
You may see rat droppings.