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Meet Santa Clarita’s Most Invasive Rat And How To Control It

The phone rings. My dad answers it. A woman on the other line confesses, “I think I have mice.” My father smiles and laughs a little before responding, “Do you know what my son says about people who think they have mice in Santa Clarita?…They have rats Roof Rats.”

By Cardon Ellis (License#12256) | Unipest – Pest Control

I hear it and smile. Why? Because I am going to go to her house, do an inspection, and 99% of the time I will discover an infestation of Santa Clarita’s most frustrating, invasive, and elusive rodent, the Roof Rat.

Ship Rat. Tree Rat. Fruit Rat. They’re all the same.

Scientists call them “Rattus Rattus” of the subfamily “Murinae.” I call them amazing “Roof Rats,” and homeowners in Santa Clarita call them by names unfit for print in a family oriented publication like ours.

Why? Because, as Dr. Ian Malcolm says in Jurassic Park, “life finds a way,” and there are a LOT of unwanted ways in which Roof Rats “find a way” into our lives uninvited.


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Generally roof rats are those noises you hear in the attic, hoping they’re just squirrels or “mice”. Nope, they’re roof rats, and they spend 90% of their lives above ground in places like your attic for good reason.

In nature these rats were predominately tree-dwellers who spent most of their time avoiding snakes and bobcats on the ground and owls and hawk predators in the air, by setting up shop in the boughs and foliage of trees. Over time they developed the ability to jump 2+ feet in the air and traverse over wires or crawl directly up stucco, there isn’t a single area of your home with an opening larger than a quarter they cannot infest!

The roof rat has a tail longer than its body which allows its incredible balance and an almost monkey-like ability to navigate through the air while running, jumping, or climbing. Check out the video below to see footage of a Santa Clarita Roof Rat literally running directly up the side of a house in Stevenson Ranch!

Once gaining entry to the home, roof rats will generally begin munching on wires, and removing insulation in your attic in order to create their nests. The first generation usually goes unnoticed because the breeding females and alpha-males learned long ago that the key to life as a rat is silence. It’s usually not until the population grows large enough that the juveniles start making noise and get the family noticed.

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or send an email to newstip@hometownstation.com.

So the next time you have “squirrels” or hear “mice” in your attic, give us a call, mention this article, and I promise I won’t laugh.

About Cardon Ellis – Unipest

Cardon Ellis (Structural Pest Control Operator License #12256) is a 30+ year resident of the Santa Clarita Valley and 10+ year veteran of Santa Clarita Pest Control. Co-founding Unipest Termite and Pest Control with his father in 2009, Cardon enjoys the science, art, and humour of Eco-Friendly pest and termite control. He loves the smell of Orange Oil in the morning. Cardon Can be reached anytime at 661-284-7575 or visit www.unipest.com

Report a typo or error, email Corrections@hometownstation.com

KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Meet Santa Clarita’s Most Invasive Rat And How To Control It

2 comments

  1. We have a native species of wood rat that live in oaks. If you are on the urban fringe, you may have these natives in your yard or on your roof. You are in their territory, not the other way around since they have lived here for thousands of years. If they get in your attack, please try a live trap and removal first. If that doesn’t work, please, please use a snap trap and not pesticides. Pesticides work their way up the food chain and kill owls, hawks and other predators.

    The very best way to control them is to ensure their natural predators have access to them for lunch or dinner instead of killing the predators by poisoning the prey. Get a hawk or owl perch for your back yard.

    • Good advice waterwatcher! Perches for raptors and NEVER turning to rodenticides are key. Poisons kill way more than just “target” animals.
      For those homeowners dealing with persistent roof rat issues, you CAN evict them Permanently and Safely with the Evictor® Strobe Light. We’re trusted nationwide, and are backed by Pest Management Professionals and Wildlife Rehabilitators! The Evictor® 10k works!

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About KHTS FM 98.1 & AM 1220

As Santa Clarita’s only local radio station, KHTS FM 98.1 & AM 1220 mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, along with your favorite adult contemporary hits by artists such as Rob Thomas, Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Maroon 5. We are vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community. Our broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. We stream our talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience.