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Do you have mice or baby rats?
You’re at home minding your own business, and all of a sudden, a furry little creature scurries across your floor. Now what? One option might be to jump on top of the closest piece of tall furniture to get away. We don’t blame you! But unless you’re comfortable living up there, that plan is far from sustainable. What is that fuzzy little creature that has taken up residence in your home? It may be very hard to tell from on top of your couch or kitchen counter, but you could be dealing with either mice or baby rats. The difference is bigger and more important than you might think.
Mice or Baby Rats: How to Tell Them Apart
Any type of rodent that is running around your home is going to cause you concern. You don’t want any of them making themselves comfortable. The thought of it makes most of us want to run for the hills. However, many of our clients can sometimes be confused as to what type of rodent is actually scurrying about. It can be hard to tell sometimes if the culprits are mice or baby rats. They can look very similar.
The common house mouse is very small in size when fully grown, ranging from 2 to 4 inches. A full-grown rat is much larger than that, sometimes reaching 10 inches in size. However, if it is a baby rat, it can be similar in size to a common house mouse. This is where people get confused as to whether they are dealing with mice or baby rats.
Most of the time, people don’t like to get close enough to the rodents in their homes to do a deeper investigation, but there are some other ways to tell mice and baby rats apart. A baby rat’s head and feet are going to be large compared to their bodies, and their face is going to be stubby with a wide nose. Also, baby rats are going to be clumsy because they are babies. Think human baby: they haven’t gotten their bearings yet and are stumbling all over the place.
And those tails! A mouse’s tail is going to be about the same length as its head and body combined. However, a baby rat’s tail is shorter than its head and body combined. A rat’s tail is dark above and pale underneath, while a house mouse’s tail is dark throughout.
Do They Behave the Same in Your Home?
No matter the rodents, the biggest thing most people want to know is what these rodents are doing inside their homes. What kind of chaos is happening behind the scenes? And by behind the scenes, we mean places like in your walls, your appliances, basements, and attics.
Whether you’ve discovered that you have mice or baby rats, those rodents are going to start reproducing like crazy! Mice can reproduce around 300 offspring over a 2-year period. Rats can produce even more at around 2000 in just one year. Those babies start reproducing a month into their lives.
And when you start to think about all those mice or baby rats, you start to think about all the droppings that could be accumulating around your home. It is a terrible thing to think about, but it is one of the worst parts about having a mouse or rat problem in your home.
Both of these rodents can cause serious damage to your home. They are big chewers. Mice can chew through wiring, which can cause some serious damage. But rats have a little bit more bite. They can even chew through metal and concrete. These aren’t pests you want to let roam around your home for long. You want to get them taken care of quickly!
How to Get Rid of the Mice or Baby Rats
No one wants to deal with any of the problems that mice or baby rats bring. Just the thought of seeing one in your house is terrifying. So how do you get rid of them and keep them out for good?
The first thing you need to do is to seal all the entry points where those little rodents could be making their way into your home. They can squeeze into some pretty tiny spots, so you need to make sure that you are sealing up your house pretty well. We have some pretty amazing info on mouse-proofing your home, and it should get you set up for success no matter your rodents.
After your home is rodent-proof, it is time to get rid of those mice or baby rats that are already inside! You now have a choice of whether you are going to try to trap them yourself or call in an expert. The beauty of an expert is that we know exactly where mice or baby rats like to make their homes and where they are likely to look for food, and the treatment goes very smoothly. Also, you don’t have to deal with the aftermath of catching the rodents.
If you do decide to get rid of the mice or baby rats and their parents yourself, be cautious of the fact that rodents do carry diseases. While they don’t bite often, if you do try to use a no-kill method of trapping, this is one way they can transmit some of these diseases to you. But bites aren’t the only way to spread disease. Everywhere they travel, including your kitchen counters, allows for traces of sickness to be left behind—not to mention, in their droppings.
Call us for Help
Mice or baby rats are not the type of creatures you want growing up in your home. Once you realize they are an issue, it becomes a high priority to get them out of your home. Not only do they cause damage, but they carry those diseases that put you and your family at risk.
The last thing homeowners want to do is deal with pests and rodents. Our professionals at Kapture Pest Control are experts in all things related to pests and rodents. We will help you identify the issue with a full inspection and provide a plan to stop it.
Give Kapture Pest Control a call today for a free phone consultation to discuss whatever pest problem you are facing.
