Both mice and rats commonly invade homes and businesses, and once inside, they are difficult to remove. While it’s unlikely to have an infestation of both at the same time, mice and rats can do similar kinds of property damage and pose similar health concerns including spreading hantavirus and salmonella. Because of these many health risks, taking steps to prevent rodents is essential.
What Do Mice And Rats Look Like?
To help you quickly identify a rodent infestation, we've put together an overview of how to tell these two species apart. Mice are the smaller of the two when fully grown, and they are usually a brownish-grey color with big ears and long tails in proportion to their bodies. Rats are bigger and have smaller ears and shorter, scaly tails in proportion to their bodies. Another main difference between the two is that mice have more pointed faces while rats’ faces are blunter in shape.
Why Are Rodents Coming To Your Property?
Rodents are attracted to a property for a few simple reasons: food, water, and shelter. Mice and rats want to have easy access to food and water sources, and since people leave behind lots of food, living near humans can help rodents thrive. So, by addressing underlying moisture and cleanliness issues, you can help reduce the risk of a rodent infestation by doing the following:
- Keeping kitchens cleaned which includes wiping up food and drink spills, washing dishes often, and mopping regularly
- Getting rid of decaying fruits and vegetables around your property
- Placing lids on outdoor garbage cans and taking out indoor trash often
- Fixing moisture issues around your property by repairing leaky plumbing and using dehumidifiers
- Storing pet food inside in airtight containers that rodents can’t get into
7 Tips For Keeping Rodents Out
The other main reason rodents come inside of a property is in search of shelter. So, while addressing the issues that attract rodents is important, you can further deter them by getting rid of access points. To keep mice and rats from coming into your home or business, follow these seven steps:
- Fill up any cracks in the walls and foundation of the building.
- Look under deck areas and even under woodpiles and make sure these areas don’t provide access points.
- Make sure that screen in doors and windows aren’t broken.
- Place weather-stripping and door sweeps around your property.
- Repair entry points around pipes and utilities using steel wool and caulk.
- Ensure that doors and windows fit tightly in their frames.
- Store firewood away from the exterior of any buildings.
What Is The Best Form Of Rodent Protection?
Even after you’ve done everything you can to keep rodents out, you could still end up with an infestation. Whether you’re dealing with mice or rats, attempting to eliminate the infestation on your own is a losing game. Instead, let All-Safe Pest & Termite handle the problem. We are locally-owned and family-operated, and our experienced pest professionals use cutting-edge, effective methods and products to control rodents around your home or business. You can trust that we will get every single rodent around your property to keep them from coming back.
Find out more about our flexible residential and commercial pest control options by calling us at (972) 945-9226 or by sending us a message online.