New Male rattie, biting and I need help...

I have not been to this list in a few years. As a matter of fact, we thought
we were winding down on having ratties since our max count was 13 wonderful
furballs. But now I have two that are not socialized very well.

One is a female that we rescued from a friend of my daughter just before I
spent two months in New Orleans. I found out she wasn't paying attention to
her while I was gone because she was still reeling from all of our losses
earlier in the year. I can understand that, but that left Rowan a little on
the skitterish side. She is slowly becoming used to being on my shoulder and
handling. But the taking her from her cage part is the part she seems to
hate the most. So I wait until she is at the biggest door and I can scoop
her up with both hands, gently. I also have tried the putting her on her
back and that seems to be working to let her know who is in charge. I think
she is slowing learning to love tummy rubs.

But my biggest issue, and it could be because he is still new here, is a
male that we were told is about 8 months old. I got him as a cage mate for
Rowan (who is spayed) and she is 1yr, 1 mos old. But I think he is closer to
her age. Anyway, we handled him well at the rescue center with no evidence
of biting issues. We named him Romeo because he licked us so much and licked
my daughter from time to time all the way home. The first two days here in
quarrantine, away from other ratties, was ok and he seemed to like being on
my shoulder while we watched movies. He even waited to go to the bathroom
back in his cage. :-) But today, he seemed odd. He first grabbed my hand
trying to pull me into the cage. Maybe he misses his cagemates and wanted me
in there too. But then he bit me harder. It could be that he thought the
smell of the soap from my daughter's bathroom on my hands smelled too good.
So I re-washed them in regular non smelly soap. I don't use hand cream
because I don't want to get them sick. But when I tried again to coax him
out of the cage to pick him up, he bit me, again pulling on me like he
wanted me in the cage with him.

Another thought is that he is hungry. I do not know what his diet was. He
was being fed Harland blocks at the center he was at, so that is what he has
here to along with some fresh fruits and veggies - carrots, avacado once a
week, broccoli, ripe bananas and whatever other fresh things we get. But
they had just gotten him with 21 other ratties from someone who left all of
them on their doorstep. No note or anything to let them know about diet or
socialization or anything. They were of all ages and when we saw him, he was
in a cage with two other older males and 3-4 a lot younger males.

I have never had a biter before and I do not know how to begin working with
him, but I would love to learn. We got him last Friday and this is the first
day he has bit anyone. Will time help and patience or should I be doing
something else?

Thank you, Mary