When John Telleria set up bird feeders in his back yard, he was hoping to attract the wild lovebirds that fly around his neighborhood.
And he did just that. Unfortunately, when the lovebirds flew away, roof rats took over at night.
"I was shocked. I've seen roof rats every now and then. I had no idea there were that many here," said Telleria.
His security camera catching at least five of the furry pests jumping around his yard.
Chad Little with Urban Desert Pest Control says roof rats can cause some serious damage. He's seen them chew through pipes.
If you're struggling with an infestation of your own, Little says don't get rid of your citrus trees. That's a myth.
"That's not the case at all. Do the rodents eat the citrus? Absolutely. Is it their primary food source? Absolutely not," said Little. "Their primary food source is nuts and seeds, which we're gonna get off of Mesquite trees and Palo Verde trees."
Little also says that while roof rats will eat citrus, it's only the sweet kind, like navel oranges. He says they won't touch lemons or most grapefruit.
John Telleria, meanwhile, took matters into his own hands. He installed some rat traps and obstacles that seem to have led to a drastic drop in his rat population.
He says a lot of people have told him to get rid of his bird feeders all together, but he has no intention of doing that.
"It's a trade-off, put up with a couple of rats at night, but I have the lovebirds during the day," said Telleria.