U.S. Department of Agriculture: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service
Date of this Version
March 2003
Abstract
Roof rats have invaded the Phoenix metropolitan area. Although the desert surrounding Phoenix is formidacie to roof rats, residential and urban development has probably sufficiently altered habitat to render it suitable for roof rats. Ongoing community and government campaigns are reducing the resources necessary for rat survival and are working to suppress rat populations. Whether these efforts will be adequate to eradicate roof rats from the area is unknown. Rat activity has declined over the past several months. However, it is difficult to assess whether this reduced activity reflects decreased rat numbers or if rats have become less active during the summer heat.