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MICE & RATS

In the Baltimore Metropolitan Area we primarily have two types of mice, the FIELD MOUSE and the HOUSE MOUSE, along with the NORWAY RAT.  What never ceases to amaze us is how they can find the smallest openings in a home and enter in.  It could be an ill-fitting door that allows these little pests to come in, or perhaps it is a crack in the framework of your home.  They use cracks and holes in degraded concrete to slip inside and follow plumbing lines and inhabit drop ceilings and attic spaces. 

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The BEST DEFENSE to keeping pests away is to make sure they don't get in in the first place.  But when they do . . . , the most important thing is to take action immediately!  Mice and Rats breed quickly which means they are looking to nest in your home.  Insulation materials, home furnishings, between walls, under refrigerators, etc., are favorite spaces for them to live. They spread diseases and cause destruction between the walls where electrical wiring is found.

How will I know the difference . . .

We are often asked about how to tell the difference between mice and rats.   Of course, the size of the pest will easily discern a difference as rats are larger than mice.  Field Mice & House Mice will have smaller tails, while Norway Rats have much larger, thicker tails.

 

Additionally, as you can see in the pictures at right, the mice have very large ears in comparison to their bodies, while rats' ears are smaller in comparison to their bodies.  

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Often times you don't get the opportunity to actually see the animal at all.  The droppings they leave behind are usually the way people realize there is a problem.  It is this single piece of evidence that helps determine what the problem is coming from.

MOUSE DROPPINGS are small in size, sort of like a grain of rice, and narrow or taper at the ends.  RAT DROPPINGS are much larger and fatter, and more pellet-like.  

house_mouse.jpg

HOUSE MOUSE

fieldmouse.jpg

FIELD MOUSE

norway_rat.jpg

NORWAY RAT

Rodent Control Process:

MD Pest Patrol's Rodent Control Process consists of the following:

 

  • Perform a complete inspection of the structure, inside and out, to find the entrance points;

  • Discuss with the homeowner the best ways to seal up and close off entry into the home;

  • Prepare a full-service approach to kill, capture, and eliminate the pests currently in the dwelling; and

  • Offer both advise on how to keep the rodents away, and discuss a full-service maintenance program to ensure that pests will not come back.

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