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Frequently Asked Questions
How did I get cotton rats?
Leaving open bowls of pet food in yards and on porches can attract cotton rats. These pests may also enter homes through open holes in structures looking for food and shelter.
How serious are cotton rats?
Cotton rats are agricultural pests that may cause considerable damage to row crops. They live in grassy areas and feed on plants in crop fields and gardens. These rats are not usually structural pests, they can invade buildings, especially if they find food available.
These rats chew on grass and pile it up along soiled pathways. Yellow or greenish colored fecal pellets often build up near areas where these pests thrive that cause contamination.
Diseases
The hispid cotton rat is medically important because it is a host for hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). This disease can become airborne when rat droppings or carcasses are disturbed and people who inhale the airborne virus can become infected. These rats have also been found infected with plague and murine typhus.
What are the signs of a cotton rat infestation?
Possible signs of a cotton rat infestation include:
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Droppings
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Rodent sightings
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Shallow burrows with multiple entrances