One of the most common household problems can be a mouse or a rat infestation. Rats and mice are rodents that belong to the largest mammalian family, Muroidea with more than 1,300 species. While many people interchange these two species, it is important to know which specific rodent you are dealing with to customize a solution to get rid of rats and mice.

 

Check out these tell-tale signs if your unwanted guest is a mouse or a rat:

 

1. 1.    Rats are bigger than mice. Mice can grow up twelve centimeters in length while rats can grow twice as big. Mice can weigh up to 30 grams while an adult rat can weigh ten times more than the house mouse at an average of 350 grams.
2. 2.    Rats have broad heads while mice have triangular heads. Mice heads are smaller relative to the body and would have large, prominent ears and narrow, small muzzle. Rats, on the other hand, have large heads relative to the body and large but blunt muzzle. Rat ears are small relative to their head.
3. 3.    Rats live longer. Average lifespan of a house mouse is 1-2 years while rats can live up to 3 years.
4. 4.    Rat feces are bigger than mouse feces. Rat feces are usually found in groups about 20mm in length while mouse feces are scattered and measures around 3mm in length.
5. 5.    Rat tails are shorter than their body while mouse tails are longer than their body length. Rat tails are also thick and heavy while mouse tails are usually thin.
6. 6.    Rats are active burrowers while mice are agile climbers. Because of their nature, rats can be found mostly outdoors and in sewers.
7. 7.    Rats go out in search for food while mice prefer to stay indoors. Mice seek out nests in small hidden spaces and love the availability of food in your home. They love to nibble on your cereal or feast on your vegetable garden. This endless gnawing is one of the main causes of conflicts between mice and humans that prompt the latter to get rid of mice in their home.

 

There are different rat and mice control measures that you can employ at your home but the problem is usually doubled once they are already inside your house and have gotten out of control. To be able to apply humane, effective mice control, you need to determine how many of them are actually living in your home. Commercially available traps are often an inhumane and even ineffective way to get rid of the whole population.

 

If you do not want to go through the trouble of determining which rodent is infesting your home, what is their population size and how to get rid of them effectively, call Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control Montreal at 1-888-592-0387 and learn about their professional and safe approach to make your home rodent-free!