Rodent Control in High Desert
High Desert is the master-planned neighborhood at the top of the Far Northeast Heights, between Tramway Boulevard, Simms Park Road, the Embudito Arroyo and the national forest. Most of it sits at or above 6,000 feet. It was the most recent big subdivision in the foothills, annexed by the city in the 1990s.
Open space on three sides is part of why people move here. It's also why High Desert gets more pack rats and deer mice than neighborhoods lower down.
Native yards and pack rats
Plenty of High Desert yards use juniper, chamisa, cholla and boulders, so they look like the mountain behind them. Pack rats see building material and food. They nest at the base of shrubs, behind boulders and under decks, and they wander into garages and engine bays. University of Arizona Extension says exclusion is the most effective approach once woodrats get into buildings, so the garage door seal and corners matter more here than anywhere.
What to check around the house
Homes here are newer, so the gaps are fewer and easier to miss:
- Garage door seals and the gap at each corner
- Utility entries behind shrubs on the side yard
- Courtyard gates and the base of courtyard walls
- Decks and portals where pack rats nest underneath
- Cars that sit in the driveway for a week or more
Local questions
Can I keep my native landscaping and still control pack rats?
Yes. Keep plants trimmed back 3 to 4 feet from the walls, as the state rodent guide suggests, and have the garage and house sealed.
Is High Desert in the city's plague testing area?
The city collects dead rodents for testing in neighborhoods east of Tramway and the foothills. Call 311 if you find one that died with no injury.
A pack rat chewed my car wiring. Now what?
Have a mechanic fix the wiring and have the garage sealed. See rodents in cars and garages.