Thursday, March 21, 2019

Pest Control Westwood; Ways To Distinguish Between A Mouse And A Rat Infestation

By Stephen Ross


It is not foreign to find a person with pet mice or rats. Even so, most people hate rodents because they are destructive and a great nuisance within business and residential settings. These creepy crawlies can chew electrical wiring, piping, drywall and insulation, not to mention that they can pose health hazards when they contaminate food or water. When searching for dependable pest control Westwood is an excellent place to begin your hunt.

Before the professionals can get started on an eradication program, they must first establish the kind of pest they are fighting. It is common for people to assume that mice and rats are the same, though these two rodents have some major differences. In fact, their dissimilarities make it impossible for rats to be eradicated using mouse traps.

In case an infestation is extensive, chances are that the rodent colonies will not remain contained in their nests. This means that you have a chance of seeing rodents rushing across your floors even in broad daylight. In case you spot one, check out its appearance. Mice have noses that are triangular in shape and their rails are thinner and slightly hairy. They are also tiny and grown mice will not be more than seven and a half inches.

Rats are the bigger species and they can grow up to eighteen inches long. They have round noses and thick, hairless tails. While mice are brown or gray in color, you can find rats that are brown, gray or even black. If there are black creepy crawlies in your premise, you possibly have a rat infestation.

Both mice and rats are outstanding swimmers. They can therefore find their way into your home through broken toilets and drains. Both pests are also nocturnal and seeing them during daylight hours is hard, unless the infestation is extensive, meaning that food sources are also inadequate. Both mice and rats can stand on the hind legs.

For you to tell the difference between these two almost identical species you may need to check out their nesting habits. Mice will in most cases prefer nesting on food wrappers, strings, shredded paper and soft materials like pillow stuffing. They will also favor areas of the home that are warm and close to sources of food and water. You may therefore find them behind stoves or in the kitchen pantry.

Rats also favor soft nests made of cloth or hair. Even so, they often build their nests outdoors and dig holes under buildings or in the garden. They can also make nests in nearby trees, under thick bushes or shrubs or in the attic. To access your interiors, rats will make routes that they will travel through each day to get their food and water.

The droppings of both rats and mice are rod-shaped. However, rat pellets are nearly two times bigger than the pellets left behind by mice, possibly because of the significant differences in their body size. Because rats are naturally cautious, it will not be easy for you to trap them. Catching mice on the other hand is easier because the pests are naturally curious.




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