What is the difference between a pack rat and a regular rat?

Pack rats are native Neotoma rodents with furry tails. Norway and roof rats are not native to the United States and have scaly, mostly hairless tails. Pack rats build middens and collect objects. The pack rats on this page are western and southwestern species; eastern woodrats such as the Allegheny woodrat are listed as endangered in some states.

Why do pack rats collect shiny objects?

University of Arizona Extension says pack rats are very attracted to small, bright, shiny objects such as coins, and ICWDM says their habit of collecting food and objects, particularly shiny ones, is why they are called pack rats. When they pick something up they often leave something else behind, such as a stick, nut or piece of cactus.

What pests live in pack rat nests?

Pack rat nests can harbor kissing bugs, which can spread Chagas disease, along with parasitic mites, ticks and fleas. Removing middens near the house removes that habitat.

Can pack rats be trapped and released?

Rules vary by state. ICWDM says woodrats can be controlled in most states when they threaten or damage property, but Arizona classifies native rodents as nongame mammals protected by state law and allows control only in some cases. Check with your state wildlife agency first. Effective control focuses on removal of the current animal and structural plus landscape exclusion that prevents replacement animals from colonizing.

Rodent Species Identification

Pack Rat: Identification and Behavior

Neotoma spp. (western woodrats, including N. cinerea, N. fuscipes, N. lepida, N. albigula)

A field guide to identifying pack rats, understanding their midden-building behavior, and addressing infestations across Southwestern and Western US homes.

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How to Identify Pack Rat

Pack rats, or woodrats, are native Neotoma rodents found across much of North America; this page covers the western and southwestern species. University of Arizona Extension gives a body length of 6 to 7 inches and 12 to 14 inches including the tail, and Texas species weigh about 5 to 11 ounces. The ears are large, rounded and hairy, and the eyes are large and dark.

The defining feature is the tail. Unlike the scaly, mostly hairless tails of Norway and roof rats, pack rat tails are covered in fur. Fur may be cinnamon, brown, gray, yellowish gray or creamy buff, and the belly and feet are generally much lighter.

More telling than droppings is the midden, a crude cone of sticks, cactus joints and other rubbish that often holds shiny objects collected nearby.

Size Reference

12 to 14 inches including the tail

Compared to a Norway rat:About the same size, with a hairy rather than scaly tail
Compared to a house mouse:Much larger

Distinguishing From Similar Species

vs Norway Rat: The tail is the tell: scaly and mostly hairless on a Norway rat, furry on a pack rat. In the Las Vegas valley, Norway rat activity has been rare.
vs Roof Rat: Pack rats resemble roof rats in general size and shape, but they have hairy tails and larger eyes and ears.

Where Pack Rats Live

University of Arizona Extension calls pack rats common in Arizona and other parts of the desert Southwest, and UC IPM names the dusky-footed woodrat and the desert woodrat as the most common pack rats. Woodrats also live in the East: the Allegheny woodrat is native to Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and West Virginia and is listed as endangered in Maryland and New Jersey, and ICWDM notes the Key Largo woodrat in Florida was federally listed as endangered in 1991.

Habitat selection revolves around protective cover. Outdoors, cholla and prickly pear cactus are preferred midden sites, and pack rats also use abandoned nests and burrows of other animals. They sometimes move into the attics and walls of houses, and ICWDM adds cabins, outbuildings and parked vehicles.

Home entry is opportunistic. Landscaping, patio covers and branches that touch the house are worth checking as routes in.

Pack Rat Behavior

Pack rats are primarily nocturnal and solitary, except when mating or rearing young. A den is usually occupied by one animal or by a female and her young, though University of Arizona Extension notes nests may be built close together.

Reproduction varies by species. ICWDM gives litters of 1 to 4 young, and University of Arizona Extension says females can produce up to 5 litters a year of 4 to 5 young. A den may be occupied for several years or a lifetime, though the average pack rat lives about 1 to 2 years.

Diets vary by species. The southern plains woodrat favors prickly pear blades and cactus fruits, also eats mesquite pods and acorns, and gets the water it needs from its food.

The trademark behavior is object collection. Pack rats collect food and objects, particularly shiny ones, and often leave a stick, nut or piece of cactus behind when they pick something up. They are also known as trade rats.

Damage Pack Rats Cause in Homes

Woodrats may take up residence in parked vehicles, gnawing on wires and other mechanical components.

Middens themselves cause problems. Ground dens can measure 3 to 5 feet in height and diameter, and removing one is physical work.

Health Risks From Pack Rats

CDC lists wood rats among the animals that can be affected by plague, and University of Arizona Extension says white-throated pack rats are reported carriers of arenaviruses. Pack rat nests also harbor parasitic mites, ticks and fleas.

Middens are common breeding sites for kissing bugs (triatomine bugs), which can spread Chagas disease; CDC notes these bugs can live in rodent nests or animal burrows.

CDC cleanup guidance for rodent nests and droppings calls for rubber or plastic gloves, soaking with a bleach solution, and double bagging waste, with a respirator with a HEPA filter for heavy infestations.

How Pack Rats Enter Homes

ICWDM advises that no hole larger than 1/2 inch be left unsealed, including openings at the attic level.

Places worth checking include garage thresholds and weatherstripping, utility penetrations at AC condenser lines and pool equipment pads, crawl space vents, soffit and ridge vents, exterior door sweeps, and openings around gas meters and electrical service drops. Shade structures and patio covers that touch the house can give pack rats a way up.

Pack Rat Control Considerations

Pack rat control differs from commensal rat control in structure and pace. A den is usually occupied by one animal or a female with young, so removal often involves few animals, and much of the work is midden removal, exclusion, and landscape changes to prevent re-occupation.

Midden removal is physical and calls for protective equipment, and exclusion closes all entrances, including those at the attic level.

For trapping and sealing, Rat Control covers the general rat process of species identification, runway trapping, and chew-proof sealing.

Call to get a trusted local pro out for pack rat control.

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Where Pack Rats Are Found

The pack rats this page covers are western and southwestern species, common in Arizona and other parts of the desert Southwest. Woodrats also occur in the East, where the Allegheny woodrat is a native species listed as endangered in Maryland and New Jersey.

Woodrats occur from low, hot, dry deserts to cold, rocky slopes above timberline.

Signs You Have a Pack Rat Problem

Midden accumulations of sticks, cactus, and debris
A pack rat midden is a crude cone of sticks, cactus joints and other rubbish. University of Arizona Extension gives ground dens of 3 to 5 feet in height and diameter; tree nests are smaller. Dens may also turn up in attics, walls and parked vehicles.
Collected shiny objects
Pack rats are very attracted to small, bright, shiny objects such as coins.
Chewed vehicle wiring and engine nests
Woodrats may move into parked vehicles and gnaw wires and other mechanical parts.

Common Questions About Pack Rats

Pack rats are native Neotoma rodents with furry tails. Norway and roof rats are not native to the United States and have scaly, mostly hairless tails. Pack rats build middens and collect objects. The pack rats on this page are western and southwestern species; eastern woodrats such as the Allegheny woodrat are listed as endangered in some states.
Rules vary by state. ICWDM says woodrats can be controlled in most states when they threaten or damage property, but Arizona classifies native rodents as nongame mammals protected by state law and allows control only in some cases. Check with your state wildlife agency first. Effective control focuses on removal of the current animal and structural plus landscape exclusion that prevents replacement animals from colonizing.

Sources and Further Reading

Sources for pack rat facts on this page:

Pack rats (School and Home Integrated Pest Management) (University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, Department of Entomology)
Woodrats (Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management (ICWDM))
Woodrat Biology (Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management (ICWDM))
Woodrat Damage Identification (Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management (ICWDM))
Woodrat Damage Prevention and Control Methods (Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management (ICWDM))
Pest Notes: Rats (UC Statewide IPM Program (UC IPM))
White-throated Woodrat (The Mammals of Texas, online edition) (Natural Science Research Laboratory, Texas Tech University)
Southern Plains Woodrat (The Mammals of Texas, online edition) (Natural Science Research Laboratory, Texas Tech University)
Rodent Pests (Southern Nevada Health District)
How Plague Spreads (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))
How Chagas Disease Spreads (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))
How to Clean Up After Rodents (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))
Cat Rock and Bobs Hill Natural Area (Maryland Department of Natural Resources)
Allegheny Woodrat fact sheet (New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife)
Mammals in Virginia (465-314) (Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech)
Mammals of West Virginia (West Virginia Division of Natural Resources)

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