Eastern woodrat, Neotoma floridana

Wood rats, also called pack rats, brush rats, or trade rats, are attracted to food supplies left in buildings and will remove small objects such as spoons, forks, knives, and other items, some-times leaving sticks or other objects “in trade.” They often construct conspicuous stick houses in cabins, abandoned vehicles, or in the upper branches of trees (Marsh and Howard 1990, Salmon and Gorenzel 1994). They will shred mattresses and upholstery.

Wood rats are agile climbers and consume fruits, seeds, and green foliage of herbaceous and woody plants (Lawrence et al. 1961). They strip and finely shred patches of bark from conifers and fruit trees to line nest chambers (Hooven 1959). They will also clip small branches. Their damage may be confused with that of tree squirrels and porcupines; however, wood rats leave a relatively smooth surface with a few scattered tooth marks, and tend to litter the ground beneath the tree less than tree squirrels.

Several subspecies of wood rats are endangered. Local regulations should be checked before control efforts are undertaken.

Summary of Damage Prevention and Control Methods

Exclusion

Woodrats can be permanently excluded from buildings.

Cultural Methods

Not generally useful. Trim lower branches of citrus trees.

Repellents

None are registered or considered effective at this time.

Toxicants

Anticoagulants (registered in some states). Zinc phosphide (registered in some states).

Fumigants

Not useful.

Trapping

Rat snap trap.

Live traps.

Burrow-entrance traps.

Glue boards.

Shooting

Limited usefulness.

Other Control Methods

Destruction of dens.