A mouse is a small rodent characteristically having a pointed snout, small rounded ears, a body-length scaly tail, and a high breeding rate. The best known mouse species is the common house mouse.
The house mouse has large ears and is light brown to dark grey, with a lighter colour on its belly. It is often found in urban areas. The deer mouse is brown or grey with a white belly and feet. The white colour on the underside of its tail is an easy way to spot a deer mouse.
Mice will chew and eat through almost anything. They especially love grains and can make their way through a box of cereal or crackers without much effort. They also eat between 15 and 20 times a day and will make their nest near a food source (think your kitchen or pantry).
Scampering and scratching sounds in the walls of your home at night, signs of gnawing or chewing, or damaged food packages can mean you have an infestation of mice. Other signs include droppings and urine, burrows or holes in and around foundation walls or tracks on dusty surfaces.
Mice can damage property and while the common house mouse is not as dangerous to your health as a deer mouse, they can still spread disease such as hantavirus, salmonellosis and listeria through their urine, droppings, saliva and nesting materials. These diseases can be deadly, and if you have a major infestation in your home the risk factor of catching one increases.
Common household rodents include Norway, roof, and pack rats. Norway rats have brownish fur, hairless tails, and short, furry ears. Slightly smaller, roof rats are black in color with dark tails and hairless ears. Pack rats or wood rats average six inches in length with brown or gray fur, hairy tails, and big, furry ears. While species vary in appearance, they are all recognizable by their dark coats, rounded ears, and long tails.
Rats eat pretty much anything you and your family eat - and then some. Rats have super-high metabolisms and insatiable appetites to go with them. In fact, they can eat up to 1/3 of their body weight every single day.
Rat droppings usually found in concentrated areas as rats produce up to 40 droppings per night.
Roof rats are agile climbers and can easily gain access into loft spaces and upper floors of buildings. Hearing scratching noises at night from above may suggest their presence. Norway rats on the other hand, are less adept climbers. You may hear them scurrying under decking, sheds and floorboards. They are more likely to be identified by a grinding noise they make with their teeth known as bruxing.
Rats leave foot and tail marks in dusty, less-used areas of buildings. Shining a strong flashlight at a low angle should reveal tracks clearly. To establish if an infestation is active, sprinkle fine flour or talc along a small stretch of floor near the footprints and check for fresh tracks the next day.
Rats use established routes along baseboards and walls due to their poor eyesight. Grease and dirt on their bodies leave smudges and dark marks on both objects and surfaces they repeatedly brush against. These marks may indicate rodent activity, but as smears may remain for a long period of time, they are not a good gauge of an active infestation.
Rats have teeth that grow continuously. They need to gnaw on wood and plastic to keep them trim. They have the potential to cause fires by chewing through electrical cables. You may also notice ripped food packaging, as rats tear open food, leaving visible teeth marks.
Rats build nests in warm, hidden places using shredded material such as newspaper and fabrics. Nests will often contain young rats and are usually located close to a food source. Check behind and under appliances, such as fridges and freezers in or near your kitchen.
Norway rats are well known for digging and excavating extensive burrow systems for shelter, food storage and nesting. Look for burrows in compost heaps, under decking or garden sheds, or in garages.
Personal health and wellness are at stake when rats are present. In addition to rat bite fever and food poisoning, rodents can spread Hantavirus, a serious disease transmitted through breathing infected air or direct contact with rat feces and urine. The pests can also gnaw on electrical wires and support beams. This not only incurs costly repairs, but may create fire hazards or undermine the structural integrity of homes.
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