Rodents love to live and nest in your walls, your attic, your garage or basement. On top of being noisy, and eating away at your house, their droppings can cause serious health issues to your family.
Commensal rodents are good for nothing. In fact the word “commensal “ means these rodents live off humans without returning anything of worth. The Norway rat and house mouse are the prevailing rodents in our area. The rat’s tail is shorter than the head and body. The ears are close to the body and do not cover the eyes when bent forward. The eyes are small and the nose and muzzle are blunt. Rats usually live in underground burrows, but will inhabit wall voids. They feed on garbage, meat scraps, cereal grains, vegetables, and cat and dog food. Rats will dig undigested food out of cat and dog feces and eat it.
Mice tail size equals the length of the body, which averages about 4 inches. The ears are big and nose is pointed. Mice live for about a year. Mice fear rats, so you may have one or the other: but not both. Rats will eat mice. Both rats and mice are potentially dangerous. The deer mouse may transmit the Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome through contact with mouse carcasses. Micro droplets of mouse urine can cause allergies in children. Mice can also bring in fleas, mites, ticks, and lice into your home. Rats are known to carry diseases and they also damage and destroy food or property.