Learn More About Mice
A mouse is smaller than a rat. The most common species is the house mouse, which weighs about ½ ounce and has a light brown body and dark tail. They prefer to eat grains and plants but will venture into a home, acquire a taste for garbage and food scraps and set up a nest. Mice can be found in any house, but they are more common in small or rural residences. Mice are more curious than rats. These investigative rodents will scope out new territory, meals and objects. This makes it easy to set a live trap for a mouse since they will be naturally curious about the new arrival.Learn All About Rats
Rats are larger than mice. These rodents can weigh between 7 and 11 ounces and typically have darker colouring than mice. Whether you have roof rats or Norway rats, these large rodents are more cautious than mice. A live trap set for a rat will have to be set for a significant amount of time before a wary rat will explore the area around it. They require more food, water and shelter than their smaller cousins. Rats only need a 1/2-inch hole to enter a building and are strong enough swimmers to enter through drains or toilets. If you live in an area that is prone to rat infestations, ask a wildlife control expert about rat flaps and other humane, prevention strategies. For example, homes that have their own septic tank are less likely to have a rat problem. Look for droppings, tracks, gnaw marks and signs of burrows. Once you’ve found evidence of rats, you’ll need to use a different strategy than you would for mice. Rats require much larger traps and where they are set matters. For instance, Norway rats tend to stay in basements and lower levels of homes while roof rats usually keep to the upper floors.