Quiz Roof Rats What You Need To Know North Carolina

Roof rats, unlike Norway rats, are more active during the day. True or False

If rodents are seen during the day it is a light infestation. True or False

Adult rats can enter a hole the size of a dime. True or False

Roof rats eat fruits, vegetables, nuts, pet food and invertebrates like spiders and snails. True or False

Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a deadly disease transmitted by infected rodents through urine, droppings, or saliva. Humans can contract the disease when they breathe in aerosolized virus. True or False

A common mistake in rodent control is to underestimate the severity of an infestation either in numbers of animals or by the area infested. True or False

During your inspection doors should be checked to ensure the lower edge is not more than ¼ inch from the floor. Broken basement windows and unscreened vents also are common invasion routes. Also check storage sheds, garden sheds and potting sheds along with exterior heater closets. True or False

There are rodent signs you should look for with roof rats: 1) droppings (feces); 2) gnawing damage; 3) runways; 4) tracks; 5) grease marks (rub marks); 6) urine stains; 7) visual sightings of live or dead rodents; 8) rodent sounds; and 9) rodent odors. True or False

Runways are not usually evident in rodent infestations because rodents don’t repeatedly use the same  pathways between their nests and food sources. True or False

In some situations you will have a wide range of control tools and strategies from which to choose. In other cases, however, your control options may be limited due to food exposure, safety precautions for children and non-target animals, and various environmental factors. All this can be determined through your inspection. Of course, the goal is not only an effective control program, but also a safe one. True or False

Roof rats only breed in the early spring.  True or False

Roof rats have a tail shorter than the body, blunt nose and large ears.  True or False

On the exterior inspection, include all utility lines that enter the structure through the walls. All openings around water lines, air conditioning ducts, drain pipes, vents and electrical conduits.    True or False

In the case of roof rat inspections, roofs should be checked to see that sheathing is complete and there are no openings at roof junctures where one roof over laps or ties into another roof. In addition, check roof  ventilators, screen vents and louvered in-wall vents and chimneys.  True or False

The key to effective inspections is to identify the primary harborage, feeding and activity areas to get the best results.  True or False

Roof rats make typical runways along pipes, beams or wires, up and down the studding, or along the horizontal ceiling joists, often leaving a dark-colored layer of grease and dirt to mark their runways.   True or False

An adult rat requires up to 12 ounce of food and water daily to survive, food has to be readily accessible.    True or False

Research shows that by eliminating or reducing environmental conditions that are conducive to pest activity, it will not reduce or eliminate rodent infestations.   True or False

Evidence of recent gnawing and/or damage as a result of gnawing is a poor sign for determining the presence of rodents.  True or False

Various sounds produced by rodents and their young are high-pitched squeaks, gnawing and scratching sounds, and sounds of rodents moving across an attic. True or False