Roof Rats vs. Norway Rats: Know Your Enemy

“A rat is a rat,” right? Wrong. The two most common pest rats in the US have very different behaviors, and treating them requires different strategies. If you set traps on the floor for a rat that lives in the trees, you will fail.

The Roof Rat (Rattus rattus)

Common in our New Orleans and southern markets.

• Behavior: They are aerial acrobats. They live in trees, travel on power lines, and nest in high places.
• Entry Points: They enter through eaves, roof vents, and soffits.
• Appearance: Sleek, smaller bodies with tails longer than their body.
• Trapping Strategy: Traps must be set on beams, in rafters, and near the roofline. Floor traps are useless.

The Norway Rat (Rattus norvegicus)

Common in our Midwest markets (Louisville, Cincinnati, Indy).

• Behavior: They are burrowers. They live in tunnels underground, in sewers, and basements. They are poor climbers compared to Roof Rats.
• Entry Points: They gnaw through door sweeps, crawlspace vents, and foundation cracks.
• Appearance: Heavy, chunky bodies with tails shorter than their body.
• Trapping Strategy: Traps are set along walls on the ground level, in crawlspaces, and near burrows.

Identifying the Infestation

• Droppings: Norway rat droppings are blunt (capsule shaped). Roof rat droppings are pointed at the ends.
• Damage: Roof rats hollow out citrus fruits (in the south) and gnaw on high wires. Norway rats gnaw on foundation pipes and dig under concrete slabs.

At HWCS, we identify the species first. This ensures we are sealing the right holes (roof vs. foundation) and setting traps where the animals actually travel.