Tempe, Arizona — The city is assisting residents interested in learning more about preventing and eradicating roof rats. Residents are urged to pick up fruit and nuts from the ground, keep garbage containers covered, clean up pet waste, store bulk foods and pet foods in sealed, rat-proof containers, and harvest citrus promptly and completely.
To help control roof rats, residents are invited to drop off quality fruit at a local citrus drop so it can be donated to food banks, senior centers, jails and other locations. The location to drop off citrus is Elks Scottsdale Lodge 2148, located at 6398 E. Oak St., in Scottsdale. Residents can drop off citrus on Saturday mornings through March 25 from 8 a.m. to noon.
Tempe will also be holding a roof rat prevention meeting on Thursday, Feb. 9, from 6-7:30 p.m. at Tempe History Museum Community Room, 809 E. Southern Ave. Neighborhood activist and local roof rat expert Barry Paceley will share his suggestions for tackling existing roof rat problems and preventing them from entering your home or yard. Roof rat bait stations will be available for purchase at the meeting.
Signs of roof rat activity include hollowed-out citrus or fruit, rat droppings, gnawing or scratching noises around home, damage to plastics and coverings on electrical wires and unsettled pets.
People who suspect they have roof rats should call Maricopa County Vector Control at 602-506-6616. Leave your name, address, telephone number and the location of the sighting. If sightings occur, residents should work with their neighborhood or homeowner associations to set up neighborhood meetings or citrus cleanup dates. For more information on this process please call Neighborhood Services at 480-350-8234.
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