Roof Rats Plaguing Peninsula Homeowners
SAN MATEO (KCBS) -- Many residents along the Bay Area's pricey Peninsula have been dealing with roof rats -- which prefer to climb and nest above ground.
The drought may have attracted rats to more residential neighborhoods in search of food and shelter.
"The situation's worse in this neighborhood, because you have all these nice fruit trees, and fountains. It's comfortable for us, but it's also very comfortable for the rats," Megan Sebay with the San Mateo Vector Control District told KCBS.
Sebay says home modifications will make a difference, like rat-proofing your home and garage, and picking up birdseed.
"It's not going to be possible to just bait our way out of these issues with the roof rats, because honestly they can reproduce faster than we can kill them," Sebay said.
Sebay notes having rats does not mean your neighborhood is dirty—it simply means the rodents see an opportunity for food, water and nests. The district t is not in the business of pest control—so it doesn't kill your rats—rather it offers education and conducts rodent surveillance on a regular basis.
"Picking up your fallen fruit, and cleaning up your vegetables properly if you have a garden. If you have compost bins, it's going to mean rat-proofing your compost bin, or your chicken coop," she said.
