Woodrats
In California, there are several species of woodrats that make their homes in brush, under and in trees. Unlike most rodents, woodrats are clean; licking their fur much like a cat, keeping their homes organized and defecating outside their home.
Dusky-footed woodrats are grayer in color with darker feet.
Reproduction
Woodrats breed from December to September. They are active year-round. Litters average 2-3 pups, 3-5 times a year. The mother woodrat builds the nest which is sometimes handed down to a daughter. She takes care of her young for a year before they go off on their own. Males, for a period of time, after breeding, will make a small nest, often in a tree, near the mother’s larger home. In the wild, woodrats can live 2-4 years. They can be quite large; with their tale, up to 16 inches in length.Woodrats as Pests
So what could cause a woodrat to become a pest? Since their stick homes are built where there’s lots of brush and trees, most likely you won’t come across a nest unless out hiking. If, however, you have a large property with native chaparral or trees, a female woodrat may be tempted to set up home.
Big-eared woodrat, San Elijo Lagoon, Carlsbad, CA

Woodrat nests can be quite large, like this one at the base of a tree.
Woodrat aka Packrat
An endearing quality about a woodrat is how she hoards things inside her home. The term “packrat” is derived from this behavior. Her home is made of sticks with multiple rooms. She has a special room for shiny objects, anything that has caught her interest while foraging at night. This is no concern for humans unless she has taken something from you like a piece of ribbon, or a small shiny tool left outdoors. She may “trade” by leaving you a bottle cap in place what she’s taken.Parasites
If you feel a woodrat’s nest on your property is an eyesore, or the woodrat is eating the bark off your trees and you want her to go away. You’ll need to be very careful when destroying her nest of sticks. Woodrats do try to keep mites and parasites out of their stick nest by lining rooms with bits of Bay Laurel but there is a bug that often lives in the woodrat’s nest. It’s commonly called a “Kissing bug” and it carries a virus that can be transferred to humans.Kissing Bug – A Woodrat’s Nemesis
Kissing (Triatomine) bugs, sometimes carry the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which caused Chagas disease, the “silent killer.”
Kissing bugs are blood-suckers.
Predators of the Woodrat
Owls, hawks, bobcats, and coyotes are all predators of the woodrat. The woodrat is careful to step on fallen or broken branches instead of noisy leaf-litter which can signal an owl of her presence.Woodrat Prevention
Keeping your property free from debris, cutting back brush, removing leaf-litter and fallen limbs will help in deterring woodrats from setting up home.
Bushy-tailed Woodrat