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Mice & Rats
Rats and mice are mammals and are often called commensal rodents because they benefit from their proximity to humans. Parasites, such as fleas and mites can be introduced into structures, along with bacteria and diseases (Salmonellosis) (Hantavirus) through these rodents, causing serious human threat.
The house mouse can weight up to half an ounce. They are 6-8 inches long with their tail. And brown with a grey under belly. During the warmer months the house mouse lives outdoors where food and shelter are easily found. They will eat any type of food available and only need about 3 grams per day, making survival easily accomplished. When the cooler temperatures arrive, they look to seek shelter indoors and find their way into attics, basements and eventually into the kitchens and pantries. The house mouse’s lifespan is about 1 year. Females bare 8 litters in a lifetime with 5-6 young in each litter.
House Mouse
Norway Rat
Weighing 7-17 ounces, 12 to 18 inches in length and brown/grey with a white belly. The Norway rat lives at or near ground levels where it borrows through rubbish and rubble under structures. They are usually found close to a drinking source. Norway rats they are amazing climbers, swimmers and can jump long distances. The litters are usually 5-12 young per litter but they have been known to produce 2 to 22 young in a litter if the rat has been freely eating for 30 days. The adult’s lifespan is 1 year and in that year the female can have 4-7 litters. They eat 30-90 grams of basically any food type per day. These rats have minimal bladder control, so they damage more food through contamination of urine and feces. These rats can be found living indoors and outdoors all year round.