Identifying Mice and Rats in Your Home

Correctly identifying the species of rats or mice in your home will help you determine which part of your home they’re likely to infest. You’ll also be able to seek the appropriate treatment method once you understand these common rodents.

Mice
Mice are the smaller of the two rodents. They’re usually between four and seven inches long and have larger, floppier ears. Mice are gray or brown with white bellies and long, hairy tails. They have triangular-shaped heads and really long whiskers.

Deer Mice

Deer mice reside in rural and outdoor settings. These rodents rarely lurk in residential areas, but they can cause problems in agricultural areas, vacation homes, and sheds.

Roof Rats

Roof rats, also known as black rats or ship rats, are popular in coastal states, seaports, and the southern United States.  The roof rat gets its name from its habit of seeking refuge in the upper levels of buildings, and they gnaw through materials and contaminate stored food.

House Mice

The house mouse is the most prevalent rodent and will consume almost any human food. They are native to Central Asia, but they are present worldwide, including the United States.

Norway Rats

Norway rats can be found worldwide and have been in the United States since the 1700s. They can run, climb, jump, and swim, and their gnawing is known to cause damage to properties and structures.

Signs of a Mouse or Rat Infestation

Mice and rats gravitate to any place with access to food or water, and you’ll likely find them near garbage bins in your kitchen or outside. Droppings, scraping and squeaking noises, and gnawing damage are all signs that rodents are present in your house. Even just spotting one mouse or rat in your home is a cause for concern and should be handled diligently.

Keep an eye out for some of these signs of a rat or mouse infestation:

• Droppings and urine
• Mouse or rat sightings
• Small burrows 
• Squeaking and scratching noises
• Chew marks on wood or furniture
• Eaten seeds, grains, and other plants in the garden

How to Prevent Rats and Mice

To make rodents’ attempts to live at your home or business more difficult, remove places where they may be able to nest, such as piles of leaves. Rodents would not be able to enter if holes are securely closed.

Try out these other preventative tips to keep rats and mice out:

• Safely store food – Small crumbs and dry goods are familiar sources of infestation. To avoid contamination, keep these in tightly sealed metal or glass containers. 
• Get rid of trash and cardboard – Since rats and mice are attracted to garbage and enjoy chewing on cardboard, you should make sure that waste and recycling are disposed of and tightly closed into the respective bins outside of your home.
• Seal any entryways – Rodents can squeeze into spaces that seem to be much too small for them. It would help if you sealed all holes in your home to avoid mouse and rat entry and reentry.

Treatment Methods for Rats and Mice 

Treatment methods for mice and rats typically involve repellents, traps, and smoke bombs. Handling any wild mouse or rat is not recommended since they have big teeth and can spread bacteria, viruses, and diseases through their saliva, feces, and urine. This is one reason why a mouse or rat infestation necessitates the assistance of a pest control professional. A pest expert can also offer eco-friendly and humane methods of rodent removal.