The trick to controlling roof rat populations is to
remove debris, overgrown vegetation, citrus and
other food sources.
http://www.azcentral.com/community/phoenix/articles/2009/01/26/20090126sr-rats0128.html
More foreclosures could mean more roof rats
by Diana Balazs - Jan. 26, 2009 12:47 PM
The Arizona Republic
A Valley expert on roof rats predicts the pesky rodents will be more prolific this year as more homes sit vacant because of bank foreclosures.
An unkempt yard is a haven for roof rats, which scour citrus for moisture and nourishment, gnaw on wires and breed more rats.
Arcadia resident Barry Paceley, who co-founded the Arcadia Neighbor to Neighbor Campaign along with his wife, Joan, are launching the community group's annual citrus drive Saturday.
Residents are urged to remove citrus from their trees and unoccupied homes in their neighborhoods.
"It's going to be much worse," Barry Paceley said of the roof rat problem this year.
He noted that there are not enough code enforcement officers around to deal with messy yards or unpicked fruit at foreclosed homes.
"The banks will keep the front yards clean. They won't maintain anything else. Citrus will not be picked in these places. It's really going to be up to the neighbors to keep an eye on these properties," he said.
The trick to controlling roof rat populations is to remove debris, overgrown vegetation, citrus and other food sources.
"Everybody's got to pull together. You can't expect the government to do anything. You are going to have to do the work, particularly if there's nobody else. That's the bottom line," Paceley said.
Last year's drive netted about 110 tons of fruit, which was donated to a number of agencies, communities and charities.
The Maricopa County Sheriff's Office chain gang assists every Saturday morning with sorting and packing citrus. The jail kitchen picks up bulk grapefruit every week, which is typically around 16,000 pounds, which is used for inmate meals.
