Of all the pest problems that businesses and households may experience, mouse and rat infestations are some of the most common.
Food and shelter are the main priority for these particular pests and that is exactly why they are commonly found in homes and businesses.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to distinguish whether you have an issue with mice and rats at your property until an infestation is occurring.
It’s very important to realise that rats and mice are extremely intelligent which makes them great hiders, however, if you are clued up on what you’re looking for, you stand a better chance of quickly identifying their presence and dealing with it accordingly.
Signs of a Mouse Infestation
For those who live in rural areas, the chances are higher that you are experiencing an issue with mice.
Mice are very subtle creatures that will fit through just about any space they can find to set up a home or source food, however, in many cases, they will leave behind evidence of their presence with many tell-tale signs revealing their identity.
- Chew marks on wiring around your home and business, as well as food packaging and containers.
- Small droppings are one of the best ways to identify a mouse problem, the more fresh and moist they are the more likely you have an active mouse infestation.
- Another clear indicator that can be picked up in a household when everyone is sleeping is the very quiet sound of scuffling.
- A change in your pet’s behaviour around the home, unusual anxiousness and cautiousness from your dogs or cats is another way of identifying a problem with mice.
- Discovering a nest is probably the most obvious sign of an invasion of your home or business by mice, this will often be made up of cardboard or other soft materials available to them.
Where do they hide?
One of the biggest reasons it can be difficult to identify a mouse infestation very quickly is due to their sneaky nature, meaning they remain in the darkest and most out-of-reach places they can find around your property.
Due to their ability to fit through almost any hole, mice can find their way into pipes, walls, attics, garages and vents without any trouble. If you’re not sure whether you are experiencing or have experienced an infestation one of the best ways to find them is by thinking like a mouse by pinpointing areas of your home or business where they could gain entry.
Will mouse traps eliminate the issue?
If you’re concerned about infestations and key indicators that you have a mouse problem that have presented themselves, you may be wondering whether mouse traps could be the answer.
Mouse traps will likely kill or at least seriously injure mice, however, if you would like to get rid of your rodent issues more humanely there have been several developments in the traps you can buy to remove the mice safely from your home and business, without killing them.
There are traps with doors that you can set up with bait inside that have a door that shut on the rodent so that you can trap them without them escaping and without killing them, allowing you to safely remove them from your home and business without any harm caused to the animal.
Signs of a Rat Infestation
Rats are more commonly found in built-up areas, like cities, town centres or big housing estates where there is high-traffic footfall.
The first thing you will need to know is how to distinguish the difference between a mouse and rat infestation, as although they are similar in many ways, they also differ in so many others.
One of the most obvious differences is that rats are usually much larger than mice, which can be found in the evidence they leave behind when infesting your home or business.
- Indeed, just like mice one of the key indicators of a rat infestation is chewed-up wires, food containers and packaging etc. however, these are likely to be much bigger and much more destructive.
- Again droppings are a key indicator just like a mouse infestation, but again will be much larger.
- Rats are also much noisier than mice when making their way around your home and business, listen out for scurrying, squeals and scratching noises.
Mouse and rat infestations can be dangerous
The realisation can be quite unsettling if you are noticing the indicators that you are experiencing a mouse or rat infestation.
Both pests can cause serious health problems by contaminating food and spreading airborne viruses, which can be extremely dangerous for those occupying your home or business, so getting to the bottom of it fast is the only solution whether you decide to manage that yourself or call in a professional pest control service to help you.
Either way, if you do experience the signs of a mouse or rat infestation the most important thing to do is address it extremely fast and if you do decide to take on the challenge yourself, make sure you know what you are doing.
When to Contact a Rodent Control Professional
There are many ways that you can handle mouse or rat infestations on your own and pest control has become a business that features many products and services that allow you to deal with these problems on your own.
However, this is dependent on your execution and the number of rodents you currently have in your home so if you are taking measures to eliminate a suspected mouse or rat problem but are still finding evidence of their presence around your home and business, you may have a larger problem than first anticipated.
With that being said, at that point, you will find it much more beneficial to bring in a pest control team who can handle larger infestations with expert equipment and knowledge, just like Advantage Pest Control.
