Will North Carolina Rats Dig Holes

Two species of Charlotte rats that will prefer to establish their nest close to humans are burrowers. The Norway rat loves to stay close to the ground. Therefore, they will dig holes where they can live. The roof rat will choose to live above ground but will still dig holes if there are no homes accessible. When they dig burrows on the ground, they can harm our plants. You need to create a garden that is less-attractive to rats.



How to Determine the Holes of the Charlotte Rats
The rat holes will not only be unsightly but it can also be dangerous. They can invite the other pests in your garden and you can also accidentally trip on their mound. Determining the location of their hole may be a lot challenging than expected. Here are some of the features that you need to look for in the burrow.

The Entrance of the Burrow
The Norway rat will establish their burrow close to the foundation of our house. You may also find them under an object such as piles of woods and rocks, and slabs. You will also encounter rat holes under shrubs and weeds. The rats will be active at night to hunt for food. They will forage for food at around 50-300ft away from their nest. However, you may also see them emerging from their den at day when there is a scarcity of food. Since they will be using the hole often, you will notice how the opening of the burrow will be compact and smooth.

Fresh Burrow
When looking for the location of their den, the rat will look for area that is moist. A fresh hole will have a mound of soil in front of the burrow. The soil that is displaced from the hole may reach up to 1 inch. The rat will be digging their hole at night. Therefore, it will be tough to catch them in action. In order to verify if you are dealing with an active hole, place a paper in front of the burrow. The rat tends to move things out of the den.

The Structure of the Rat Hole
The rat will dig a hole with a width of 2-4 inches. It will have a depth of 18 inches and the length will not be more than 36 inches. It will also create several holes on the surface that will serve as their emergency exit. The female rats, together with their kids, and a dominant male rat will be sharing a single burrow. The den will have a nest on the middle of the burrow.

To avoid this situation, you need to make your garden inhospitable to the rat. The bird seed and pet food should be stored in a secured storage. Invest on metal garbage bin that comes with a locking mechanism to prevent the rat from rummaging your trash. Harvest your produce in advance and clear the fallen fruits immediately. Store the wood piles above ground since the rat can build their burrow underneath it.

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