Whether you’ve spotted a rodent or suspicious activity, no one likes the idea of experiencing a pest invasion. Figuring out how to get rid of mice (and how this is different from how to get rid of rats) can be bewildering at best. Not only can rodents be a nuisance and cause property damage, but they are also known to transmit a number of diseases or trigger allergies that can affect your health.
But how do you know if it is a mouse or a rat? It’s pretty easy to confuse a young rat with an adult mouse if you can’t tell them apart. In which case, knowing how to identify between the two rodents and what to look for will make all the difference in your pest control methods.
Detecting these telltale signs of mice or rats will also indicate problem areas where rodents could be entering your home. In which case, you will need to block all entry points, including holes in bricks, baseboards, around pipes, and ventilation openings, which are some of the things that attract pests to your home.
So before you call pest control, here are the ways to tell the difference between mice and rats in your home.
1. Differences in appearance
If you’ve had the misfortune of seeing a rodent scurrying around, there are key differences in knowing if it’s a mouse or a rat. Perhaps the main telltale sign is its size. Adult mice typically grow up to 7 ½ inches long (including the tail), while adult rats measure up to 18 inches long.
Another key indicator is their tail: Mice have thin, slightly furry tails, while rats tend to have a thicker, scaly, hairless tail. Additionally, a mouse has a triangular-shaped nose, and a rat’s nose is more rounded, wider and blunt. Generally, mice and rats can be brown or gray, but rats can also be black.
2. Size of droppings
It’s always annoying to see droppings in or around your home, which is often a telltale sign of rodent activity. This is also a good indicator to differentiate between a mouse or a rat.
Mouse drops are generally small, about ¼ inch long, and often resemble grains of rice with pointed ends. They are brown/black in color and are usually found where mice travel and eat, such as under cabinets, inside the back of drawers, behind a stove, or in the pantry.
Rat droppings, on the other hand, are twice the size of mouse droppings, typically measuring about 3 ½ inches long and having blunt ends.
3. Food movement
One of the main things that attracts rodents to your home is a constant supply of food. However, while mice eat small amounts of food in one location, rats tend to collect and move food from one location to another.
This is because rats are larger and physically capable of carrying more food to hoard and feast on. That is why it is always important to keep the food and kitchen areas clean at all times. Sweep crumbs from floors and surfaces and disinfect areas with a cleaning spray. This will prevent the rodents from coming to visit since there are no more treats for them!
4. Size of bite marks
Another indicator to take into account is gnaw marks. Whether on a wall or on a chewed cardboard box, there are clear differences in knowing if it is caused by a rat or a mouse.
Rats leave larger gnaw marks, with a pair of incisors, and have the ability to remove much more material and cause more damage. In addition to making holes in things, they also leave more jagged edges along materials than mice.
Mice can be just as destructive, but they leave small, well-defined holes about the size of a dime. They also leave smoother edges along the gnawed materials.
5. Avoid traps
If you have set mouse traps in problem areas, without much success, you may be dealing with rats instead. Interestingly, mice are curious creatures and like to investigate anything new. Therefore, placing a trap directly in their path, with bait, would probably attract them.
Rats, on the other hand, are not as curious and would prefer to avoid things in their path. These behaviors decrease as they get used to something new. Experts advise placing unplaced traps in the path of rats for several days before setting them.
Of course, if you’ve spotted these telltale signs and don’t feel comfortable trying to catch a rodent yourself, you can always call a professional. Their experience can help you better place traps, as well as find possible entrances. Additionally, they can also help get rid of the rat once it has been successfully trapped.
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