Rodents

Few people really like rats or mice, and no one wants them in their house. Rodents live everywhere outside and could enter at any time, but fortunately, this does not occur often. Usually, most home invasions occur in the fall because the seeds and plants on which rodents feed outside are gone. Rats and mice must then seek new food sources. Unfortunately, one of these sources may be your home. Mice are excellent climbers and are capable of gaining entry through holes around soffit vents and around cables entering the building, through holes in gable vent screens, and through turbine and box vents on roofs. Most garage doors on homes allow enough space for mice to fit underneath, as well.

Recognition

House mouse
It’s body rarely exceeding two inches long and one ounce in weight. The colour is usually gray, but some may appear darker.Mice are more numerous than rats and are more widespread throughout urban and suburban communities. A mouse can be distinguished from a young rat since the rat's head and feet will be overly large in relation to its body.

Roof rats
Rodents may grow to a body length of 10 to 12 inches. Seldom will a rat weigh more than one pound. The colour can vary from gray to brown to black. Found in coastal states, roof rats have long tails, thin bodies, and large eyes and ears. Rats are more prevalent in urban and rural areas, and are found in homes less often than mice because of their larger size.

Biology

Mice are prolific breeders by two months of age. They can have litters as often as every 40 or 50 days, with four to seven young per litter. They live up to one year.

Rats becomes sexually mature at four months, producing four to six litters per year that consist of four to eight young each. They live up to one year.

Mice are found in urban and suburban communities. Mice are found in buildings more often than rats because they are smaller and are able to find more available entryways into a building. Mice can fit through a crack or hole 1/4 of an inch or larger - or about the width of a pencil. Mice will make their nests in many areas in and around the home, especially in stones and bricks, and piles of leaves or other debris.

Outside, rats live in fields, wooded areas, vacant lots and just about anywhere people have buildings. Rats are seldom a problem in homes except in urban and rural areas. This is due in large part to their size, since rats need a hole about the size of a quarter in order to gain entry into a building. Rats however, may find harborage in many areas around the home - especially in stones and bricks, and piles of leaves or other debris.

The best way to avoid invasions of rats and mice is to provide as little harborage as possible that might attract rodents, and seal as many holes and cracks in the outside of the home through which rats and mice might enter. Follow these recommendations to help prevent rodents from seeking the shelter provided by your home:

• If possible, remove any piles of debris, stones, bricks, etc. If these are near the foundation of the home they serve as harborages to attract rodents. Once there, it is any easy step for rodents to enter the building itself.
• Do not allow piles of leaves to accumulate next to the home's foundation. This also serves as attractive harborage for rodents - mice in particular.
• Seal any hole or crack larger than 1/4 of an inch. A good rule of thumb is that if a pencil can fit into it, a mouse could too. Large holes or cracks should be stuffed with steel wool or wire mesh before sealing with caulk or foam, otherwise rodents could chew through to enter.
• Install good, thick weatherstrip on the bottom of all doors to prevent rodents from entering. The garage door may prove difficult to seal completely, so the door from the garage to the house must be sealed tightly.
• The installation of one or two wind-up mouse traps in the garage can catch many mice as they enter. These traps can catch up to 15 mice with one setting. Ask your pest control service for more information.

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