# Why so many people don't care about rats?



## PAbugman (Jun 29, 2010)

What state are you in? I’ve never seen a roof rat here in Pa. in my career. It is hard for me to understand why people would be so tolerant of them when good maintenance and housekeeping practices would help so much.


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## htabbas (Oct 25, 2011)

PAbugman said:


> What state are you in? I’ve never seen a roof rat here in Pa. in my career. It is hard for me to understand why people would be so tolerant of them when good maintenance and housekeeping practices would help so much.


It's in the San Francisco Bay Area. Lotta fruit trees in the neighborhood, contributing unlimited supply of foods to those critters.


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## user1007 (Sep 23, 2009)

Abating field mice was a major deal in Santa Clara County when I lived there and I cannot imagine San Francisco putting up with rat infestations of any kind. Or people being tolerant of them. Maybe it is just a budget issue---personal and citywide? You should be pissed if you are the only one abating any pest it is like _____ into the wind.

Have you called the City or County? Is your city council or alderperson responsive? Health Department?

Rats could get out of hand here but even with the budget crunch the City is diligent about keeping them under control as best they can. That means issuing fines to those---commercial or residential---who leave things around or to pet owners caught not picking up after the dogs they walk. And of course the City refreshes pesticides in alleys and things. At least in this neighborhood. I suspect others do not fare quite as well.


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## divinegrace (Nov 15, 2011)

PAbugman said:


> What state are you in? I’ve never seen a roof rat here in Pa. in my career. It is hard for me to understand why people would be so tolerant of them when good maintenance and housekeeping practices would help so much.


Same with me. I'm in Pennsylvania And I have never saw a roof rat.


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## htabbas (Oct 25, 2011)

divinegrace said:


> Same with me. I'm in Pennsylvania And I have never saw a roof rat.


http://icwdm.org/handbook/rodents/RoofRats.asp

just checked. roof rats only spreads in southeatern states and in west coastal part of the country.

And here is a photo of one of the rats that I caught. :thumbup:


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## noquacks (Jun 5, 2010)

Roof rats/fruit rats/crawl space rats/vegetable rats/etc etc. Only 2 rats in NA- like that article confirmed- Rattus rattus, and R.Norvegium. The Norway rat is just about everywhere, and has, displaced the other (black rat)in many regions. To me, the black rat is "cuter".......LOL So, no such thing as "never heard of a roof rat"- you have- just another coined term. rat above is a Norway rat. Oh, quiz question: What country does a Norway rat come from?


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## htabbas (Oct 25, 2011)

noquacks said:


> Roof rats/fruit rats/crawl space rats/vegetable rats/etc etc. Only 2 rats in NA- like that article confirmed- Rattus rattus, and R.Norvegium. The Norway rat is just about everywhere, and has, displaced the other (black rat)in many regions. To me, the black rat is "cuter".......LOL So, no such thing as "never heard of a roof rat"- you have- just another coined term. rat above is a Norway rat. Oh, quiz question: What country does a Norway rat come from?


 
My exterminator was telling me that this is roof rat (but I don't like him nor his skillz so he could be wrong.) This rat was caught in the attic. Does Norway rats ventures into the attic also? This rat I caught has small ears so it fits the literature description of Norway rats. But the droppings all have pointed ends, which fits roof rats. 

To your quiz: I didn't google it so my instinct tells me is that it's from England. Norway people didn't emigrate to the new world till very late right?


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