Rodents
Do rats live in attics?
Yes — especially Roof rat. Attic grease, spindle droppings on joists, and a fruit tree touching the roof are the picture. Norway rat usually stay low, but a cluttered garage attic hatch can still host them. Trap on beams for roof rats. Bait stations on the lawn will not finish an eave commute.
Attic vs squirrel
Daytime rolling and a chewed fascia vent can be a Eastern gray squirrel. Night pitter-patter and smaller droppings along a beam lean rat. Identify before you set a rat trap where a squirrel will lose a foot. Wildlife rules are local.
Species pages
The question is only the field note. Control sequence, legal notes, and identification live on the species article.
Roof rat
Rattus rattus
Roof rats are the athletes of commensal rats: long tail, large ears, a nose that looks sharp compared with a…
Norway rat
Rattus norvegicus
The Norway rat is the heavy, ground-dwelling commensal rat of US cities. It does not “decide” to live in…
Related questions
- Can rats climb trees?
- Can rats climb walls?
- Can squirrels get in through the roof?
- Can rats climb brick?
- How high can rats jump?
- Can rats swim?