Although Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control offers an array of wildlife removal services, there are a few common culprits that we are regularly called in to help manage. Rodents are among the most troublesome for many homeowners. They are fast, tenacious, and good at squeezing through tiny cracks. If you are concerned about rodents in your home, there are a few signs you should watch for.
Common Rodents in Homes
There are many species that like to set up shop in our homes, and the most common tend to be house mice, deer mice, and brown rats. It can be helpful to first identify which rodents you may be dealing with.
House mice are an invasive species that have a pointed snout and a naked, scaly tail. They have made their way into homes around the world (hence their name). Deer mice are small brown mice that are common in rural or rarely trafficked areas. They may hide away in attics and basements during the winter. The brown rat (also called Norway or common rat) is a larger species of rat. They like to eat proteins such as meat.
1) Droppings
Rodent droppings look like black grains of rice or small raisins. Naturally, mouse droppings are significantly smaller than those of rats. Fresh droppings are usually shiny and are a good indication of recent activity. They may also be accompanied by the smell of urine. Typically, rodents are not overly picky about where they relieve themselves. Therefore, you can usually expect to find their excrement along their commonly used paths.
2) Gnaw Marks
Mice and rats like to gnaw through all sorts of materials in your home. One common place to see gnaw marks is on the corners of food-storage boxes. If you want to keep rodents away from food, you will likely need hard-sided containers, or glass jars. They may also gnaw on wood or other materials, such as string and paper, to get scraps for building their nests. The nests may be inside your home or nearby outside in underground burrows, trees or dense foliage. Rodents also frequently gnaw on entry points, such as mesh placed over ventilation openings, to make getting in and out easier.
3) Sightings
Of course, seeing mice or rats is a dead giveaway that you have a rodent issue. While rodents sometimes venture into new places just to explore new food, they usually do this under the cover of darkness. If you are seeing rodents during the day, you likely have them living in your home. Furthermore, that may be an indication that you have a serious problem.
4) Rub Marks
Rodents have surprisingly poor vision. To help them navigate, they follow along baseboards, walls, and other conduits. This is part of the reason you will likely only ever see them moving along the edge of rooms. One of the results of this behaviour is rub marks from their fur along those conduits. Dirt and oils in their fur leave marks as they move along their favorite pathways. This is especially noticeable at major thresholds. It is common to see brown marks around window and door frames that are being used as access points by larger groups of rodents.
Although this is a good sign of rodent activity, it can be hard to gauge recency. Nonetheless, this may help you track down nests and entry points.
5) Squeaking or Scurrying Noises at Night
Sometimes, you will hear mice and rats. This is most common during the night when they are most active. Typical noises include squeaking, rustling, and scurrying across floors and in wall cavities. Rodents can be surprisingly noisy despite their small size. This is especially noticeable when you are quiet, such as when you are in bed.
6) Unpleasant Smell
Both mice and rats tend to leave less than pleasant odours. Like other animals, their fur can become smelly when they get covered in dirt and oils. They also leave their excrement around their nests. Plus, their activity tends to help bacteria breed. In short, they can cause a serious, unpleasant smell. A bad odor is a common indicator of areas of major rodent activity. While a pathway might not smell too bad, a nesting area almost always will.
Get Wildlife Removal Assistance From Skedaddle
If you have rodents or any other type of wildlife in your home, you should take steps right away to get them removed. Mice and rats carry diseases, and their droppings can be toxic to pets and people. Contact Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control. We will apply our three-step wildlife removal and exclusion system to help ensure your home is free of wildlife for the long term.