Rats and Mice: How to Tell the Difference and Get Rid of Both

Rats and mice can invade your home through even the tiniest of openings. Once you have a mice or rat problem, it can be very tricky to eliminate, especially if you are unsure of which rodent you are dealing with. Let IPM Pest & Termite of Lexington, Kentucky show you the difference between rats and mice to help you better understand the best methods of mice and rat extermination.

Identifying Rats

Rats are typically larger that mice, weighing between 7 and 11 ounces, depending on the type of rat in your home. Roof rats and Norway rats are the two most common types of rats that are seen in homes, and they are very different from one another. Norway rats are easy to classify as a rat. They have a heavy, thick body, a blunt nose, short ears with dark hair, a two-toned tail, and dark, shaggy fur. Norway rats typically burrow and can produce up to 7 litters of rats a year. Roof rats are also common in homes and these can be much more difficult to distinguish from mice. Roof rats have light and thin bodies, a pointed nose, large hairless ears, a dark tail, and grey or black fur that is smooth. Roof rats typically live in attics and the walls of homes and can produce up to 8 litters a year.

Identifying Mice

Mice are usually much smaller that rats, weighing about 0.5 ounces, but they can still be difficult to classify due to their resemblance to roof rats. Mice have a small head and feet, a pointed snout, large ears with minimal hair, a dark tail, and brown and grey shaded coats of fur. Mice usually live in materials that are stored, like boxes, and can produce 8-10 litters per year. As you can see, other than being smaller in size, mice have similar characteristics to the roof rat. The easiest way to tell the two species of animals apart is to take note of any feces that you find. Mice feces are typically rod-shaped, while rat feces are spindle and capsule- shaped.

Eliminating Mice and Rats

Baiting and trapping mice and rats, both inside and outside the home, are the only ways to make sure that you eliminate the problem entirely. Rodents are not clean, and they will damage your home easily if they are not removed properly and quickly. Self-set traps are an easy way to eliminate the problem by yourself, but depending on the location of your infestation and how severe the problem is, you may need to call a professional to ensure that everything is taken care of. At IPM Pest & Termite, serving Lexington, Kentucky and all the surrounding areas, we are here to help with any rodent problems. As a member of Angie’s List with an A+ BBB rating, we guarantee that our services will leave you satisfied. Our trained professionals will come to your home, asses the rodent situation to determine which pest you are dealing with, and then place traps in the proper locations to assure complete rat and mice extermination If you have more questions about mice and rat removal, contact IPM Pest & Termite today.