When a rat isn't "a rat"!

When someone says “rat” the first image that comes to mind is the nasty, disease ridden, sewer rats, but this is an Eastern Woodrat (Neotoma floridana). They look more like a Disney character than a scabby sewer rat. 
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​With big black eyes, soft fur, and a furry tail, these creatures seem more like pets than pests.
Eastern Woodrats, or Packrats, commonly live in the forest and build nests that resemble beaver lodges, but this one was in an attic where she shouldn’t be! 

Despite their cute appearance, woodrats can be very destructive. Like all rodents their teeth grow non-stop and they need to chew to keep them worn down. Unfortunately, one of their favorite things to chew on is household electrical wiring. Often the first indication you have a woodrat is that the lights go out! 
Their other defining characteristic is that they are hoarders. They will gather sticks, pieces of insulation, shiny objects, and of course.... food! This leads to their common nickname...packrats. One customer had an entire 50lb bag of dogfood emptied out and carried piece by piece up from his garage to the attic above the second floor. You have to admire their determination! 
Woodrats tend to be solitary other then when a female has young, so you wont have to deal with a large infestation like you might with roof rats or Norway rats, and they are not a significant carrier of diseases, but they still need to be relocated before they can damage your wiring or plumbing. 

Think you might have a woodrat? Call Predator Impact. We can deal with him/her quickly and efficiently. 
​(918) 397-4091