How Can I Tell if I have a Rat or Mouse Infestation in Hammonton, NJ? Droppings & More

Whenever you are dealing with a rodent infestation in your house, you want to get rid of them as soon as possible. Not only do they have germs that you would never want in and around your family, but they can also cause significant damage to your property. They are natural born chewers and will chew their way through your home in no time. A rat or mouse problem can turn into an infestation quickly as they rapidly reproduce and nest. This is why Ross Environmental Solutions is here to talk about knowing the differences between rats and mice so that you can get rid of them in the most efficient way possible.

How Do I Identify a Rat or Mouse?

Knowing there are distinct physical differences between rats and mice can be helpful when you are trying to identify them from one another. Following are some simple rules of thumb:
– Size: You are going to notice that rats are significantly larger than mice are. An adult mouse will cap out around 5 inches long when they are fully grown. However, a fully grown rat will be closer to 8-9 inches long. That is significantly larger.
– Droppings: Because rats are larger than mice are, they are going to leave behind droppings that are larger as well. Mice will leave behind small droppings that are similar in shape to a grain of rice at about ¼ inch long. Rats are going to leave behind larger droppings that are at least ½ inch long, maybe even longer than that. Anytime you are removing droppings from your home, make sure you’re taking precautions to avoid illness.
– Tails: Mice have a longer tail in regards to their body than rats do. They will have also have fury growing all down the tails as well. Rats will have a shorter, and makes tail that looks much more scaly in comparison.
– Ears: Ears are another difference when it comes to rats and mice. The ears on a mouse are larger than a rat’s ears. A mouse’s ears are going to look large when compared to their body size.

Why Knowing the Difference Between Mice & Rats Matters

You may be wondering why it even matters whether you are dealing with mice or rats? While you might think that you can get rid of a rodent no matter what you have in your home that is true to an extent. If you are using methods to remove rats, it may not be as successful on mice because of the curious nature of mice. Rats are more cautious and will be removed using quite different methods than mice. You need to make sure you’re using the right exclusion methods so that you are as successful as possible.

Rodent Control

The differences listed above might be difficult to spot when you aren’t trained in dealing with mice and rat infestations. This is where Ross Environmental Solutions comes into play. We can remove even the toughest rodent infestations. Call us today!