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What Kind Of Mice Might Be In My Home?
When most people typically think of mice or rats, they think of similar pests. Most people wouldn’t even be able to differentiate between a mouse and a rat. Of course, there is nothing wrong with this, as this is what we are here for. Let us do the heavy lifting for you. That said, it does pay to arm yourself with knowledge. The more you know, the better off you are. Knowing everything you possibly can about mice and rats will only further help your detection and elimination efforts.
It starts with knowing which pests commonly invade the home. While there are thousands of species of mice and rats, there are only typically a few that venture into the home. These would be the deer mouse and the house mouse. The deer mouse is smaller and nearly hairless with a slightly pointed black nose, protruding eyes, and large ears. They can range anywhere from light brown to black in color but usually appear with gray, fit stomachs.
The deer mouse, on the other hand, is comprised of two colors. It has white feet and bellies coupled with brown backs and heads. Their tails are one of their most distinctive features, being they are equal in length to the head and body of the mouse itself. While the house mouse does have large eyes and ears for its size, the deer mouse has even larger eyes and ears, giving it somewhat of an intimidating appearance.
Learning The Signs Of An Infestation
When dealing with any pest the first thing you will want to do is familiarize yourself with the early warning signs. With their propensity for damage, you want to know as soon as you can if there is a potential mouse running around your property. Here’s what you’ll want to keep an eye out for:
- Look for droppings around the property.
- Keep an eye out for nests. These are sometimes comprised of twigs, newspaper, and grass clippings.
- Watch out for gnaw marks on wood structures and exposed electrical wires. There might even be marks on food containers if the mouse is trying to access food.
- With a mouse infestation, it is entirely possible to even hear the pests scurrying inside your walls or in your attics at night. Just keep an ear peeled for scurrying feet.
Interrupting Droppings
Finding droppings on and around the property will be one of the key indicators of an infestation. Of course, this might be trickier than you’d imagine because the droppings look so similar to other pests. Therefore, it will be imperative to be able to pick these droppings out of a lineup. Luckily, mice droppings are usually obvious in appearance once you know what to look for. They are typically black and can range anywhere from three to six millimeters in size. Think about the size of a grain of rice. They will also be similar in shape. These droppings will usually be located by breeding and feeding sites.
Why Do Mice Invade A Home?
Most people are shocked when they hear mice are commensal pests. What this means is they share the same space and habitats with humans. What’s even more interesting is, the mouse depends on the human for survival. So, it’s possible you are contributing to the infestation and don’t even know it. With that in mind, a mouse is always on the lookout for food, water, and shelter. Anytime they locate one of these things, they will jump on. Perhaps, one of the most opportunistic pests out there. These pests do possess the ability to squeeze their bodies in some of the tightest and most unpredictable spaces, so they might not always show up where you expect.
Is A Mouse Dangerous?
Unfortunately, there is an immense number of risks that come along with mice infestations. It’s true that these pests won’t likely be caught biting you, but they do spread diseases. And this doesn’t have to be done through a bite. They can transmit bacteria and diseases through their droppings, saliva, and urine. Some of the known diseases they transmit are Hantavirus, Hemorrhagic Fever, Lassa Fever, Leptospirosis, Lymphocytic Chorio-meningitis, Plague, and Rat-Bite Fever. Along with their potential for spreading and transmitting diseases, these pests can also do immense physical damage to property.
They can even cause electrical fires because they commonly chew on live, exposed wiring. Most people don’t know it, but the reason for the constant gnawing is the growth of the two front teeth. They gnaw on wood and whatever they can reach to keep growing pains at bay.
How To Eliminate Mice
Many people think they can just throw out a mousetrap or two and make their mouse problems go away. Unfortunately, this is not the case at all. These pests are extremely smart and only getting smarter as time goes on. This is because they had to. If they didn’t learn to sidestep and avoid traps, they wouldn’t have been able to evolve to where they are today. Some have even developed the ability to remove the bait from the trap without getting snatched. Combine this with their speed and quick wits, and it should be easy to see why most mice infestations require the assistance of a professional.
When Will You Get Here?
As tricky as mice are to eliminate from a structure, we have a whole arsenal of effective solutions tailor-made for the specific task. We are willing to offer them to anyone and everyone. It just requires picking up the phone and making a call. We stay busy all year round, but we are always willing to make exceptions. It is because we make exceptions that we stay so busy. With that in mind, we can have someone out to assess the property within 24 to 48 hours after you make that initial call. We’re here waiting for you!
What Rats Invade Homes?
Just like mice, rats are rodents that can be broken down into thousands of different classifications. However, there are only two interested in taking up residence in properties and structures. These would be the Roof Rats and the Norway Rats. Both are also considered commensal, which makes them even more of a nuisance. There are only a handful of species of rats that benefit from relationships with humans and, unfortunately, both the Norway and Roof Rats do. With all this in mind, there are some distinct characteristics that you’ll want to familiarize yourself with. These characteristics will help you distinguish between the two different classifications of rats.
- Norway Rats would be considered the bigger of the two, measuring in at anywhere from seven to nine inches in length.
- Norway rats possess coats that are shaggy and usually brown.
- Their noses are blunt.
- These rats have tails that are six to eight inches long.
- Their droppings are shaped like capsules with blunt ends and can measure to nearly a full inch.
Roof Rats get their names from the fact that they like the upper sections of a structure. This is a common trait they share with the Norway Rat, but that is about the only thing they have in common.
- As far as size goes, the Roof Rat is slightly smaller, potentially measuring in at six to eight inches.
- While they do also have a similar color coat of brown, the Roof Rat’s coat is usually smooth.
- Their noses are pointed.
- They have a long tail that can measure anywhere from seven to ten inches in length.
- The droppings can be anywhere from ¼ inch to ½ and usually contain pointed ends.
Are Rats Dangerous?
Rats are just about as dangerous as mice, given that they carry and transmit a whole host of diseases. One of the more well-known is mycoplasma, which is a bacterium that causes pneumonia along with a whole host of other respiratory disorders. These guys also attract mites and parasites, which can be passed on to both humans and pets. They destroy and contaminate food, but their biggest threat is the damage they can do to a structure. Just like the mouse, these guys have front teeth that are always growing. This creates a need for constant gnawing. They’ll gnaw on everything from wood to exposed, live electrical wires.
Can A Homeowner Eliminate Rats On Their Own?
You’d be surprised at just how ingenious the rat has become over the years. Because of the complexities and the length of time required for such treatments, most homeowners don’t have success with removing these pests from the property. In addition to this, the pesticides, and chemicals available for treating these pests must be used with extreme care. All in all, rat elimination is a task best left to the pros. They’ll not only will they handle the problem more effectively, but they’ll do it safer.
Why Hire Us!
- We are conveniently located in the City of Wichita
- Our pest control experts are trained in chemical pesticide safety
- Our pest control product line consists of EPA-approved brands
- We offer free written estimates per appointment only
If you have any other pest control issues please check out other services.
Our Service Area
Argonia, Burns, Winfield, Yoder, Norwich, Atlanta, Oxford, Mayfield, Wellington, Haven, Burrton, Milton, El Dorado, Elbing, North Newton, Conway Springs, Rock, Newton, Cheney, Potwin, Halstead, Udall, Whitewater, Mount Hope, Douglass, Belle Plaine, Garden Plain, Towanda, Augusta, Viola, Andale, Bentley, Sedgwick, Peck, Mulvane, Benton, Rose Hill, Clearwater, Goddard, Colwich, Andover, Valley Center, Derby, Greenwich, Maize, Haysville, Kechi, Danville, Mcconnell Afb.
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67585, 67543, 67278, 67277, 67276, 67275, 67260, 67259, 67257, 67256, 67251, 67236, 67235, 67233, 67231, 67232, 67230, 67228, 67227, 67226, 67223, 67221, 67220, 67219, 67218, 67217, 67216, 67214, 67215, 67213, 67212, 67210, 67211, 67209, 67208, 67207, 67206, 67205, 67204, 67203, 67202, 67201, 67156, 67152, 67154, 67149, 67147, 67146, 67144, 67135, 67133, 67123, 67131, 67120, 67119, 67118, 67117, 67114, 67108, 67110, 67106, 67103, 67101, 67067, 67060, 67055, 67056, 67052, 67050, 67042, 67041, 67039, 67036, 67037, 67031, 67030, 67026, 67025, 67020, 67016, 67017, 67013, 67010, 67008, 67004, 67001, 67002, 66840 .