Mice, Rats and Their Control
House
Mouse
Norway Rat
Photo Courtesy of
Univar USA
Mice Vs. Rats
Although some people think of mice and rats as child and parent,
these two are different organisms. Their biology is different and their life history is
different. Therefore, it's important to point out a few key
distinguishing characteristics.
The body of a mouse will grow from as little as 2" to as
much as 3-1/2" when fully grown. The rat's body will be as small as 7" but grow
to a length of nearly 10".
Mice will weight as little as 1/2 ounce to to up to 1
ounce whereas a large rat may weigh more than a pound. Color will vary in both mice and
rats though they are most commonly seen as gray to brown.
A mouse will squeeze through an
opening as small as 1/4". A rat manages to get through an opening as small as
1/2". Both rodents have poor eyesight and rely on their acute sense of smell and
hearing to compensate.
Management of Rodent Problems
A first step that is helpful
in rodent management is cleaning up the existing rodent droppings; it provides a
starting point to gauge the effectiveness of a control program.
Be cautious in the process
of removing rodent droppings from any area. Rodent droppings and the
dust surrounding them may contain disease organisms which are harmful to people
or their pets. Be sure to wet the target area down with either any
antibacterial cleaner or an alcohol based antibacterial solution before
attempting removal to minimize dust entering into the air while cleaning.
Use a damp cloth or paper towel for the actual removal to further minimize the
chance of dust becoming airborne. In cases of heavy infestation, a
good quality respirator should be used as well.
Vacuuming is not
recommended with a HEPA filter because the vacuum motor could blow hazardous particles into the
air. If it is necessary to use a vacuum in an area, keep the motor
as far away as possible and be sure the exhaust stream is blowing away from the
cleanup site.
The most effective means employed to control rodent is exclusion.
If openings are eliminated, in most cases, rodents cannot get into a structure. However,
sometimes a dirt floor may exist inside a structure to which a burrowing rodent may find
entry. Exclusion or rodent-proofing, requires strong material through which rodents may
not be able to gnaw such as concrete, sheet metal, coarse grade steel wool, hardware cloth
and crushed glass. We sell a repair product called
Stuf-fit,
a copper mesh that is malleable and rust proof, for this purpose.
Another thing that can
be in the category of exclusion is to repel rodents away. Although
discontinued, we have some remaining stock of a mouse and rat repellent called
Rat-A-Way.
This product may be placed outdoors around garbage bags and other areas to repel
mice or rats. Some customers have used the product on the ground in
areas under bird feeders
to discourage rats attracted to fallen bird seed.
The next step in controlling rodents is eliminating food sources.
People are often surprised to find out that foodstuffs that had long been forgotten are
the source of food for rodents. The bird seed up in the attic or in the garage or a box of
food which fell down behind a shelf somewhere. Therefore, it is important to seek those
things out. Also, any food in boxes or bags as well as the daily garbage must be protected
by placing these items into impervious containers of metal or glass.
The final step in the process
of creating a rodent free environment is eliminating existing infestations from a structure. Trapping
is an effective rodent control technique. There are humane traps such as Havahart TM Traps
which can trap mice without harming them but require frequent monitoring.
Multiple catch
traps such as Victor Tin Cat and Ketch-All may also
capture rodents without harming them, but also require frequent monitoring. Snap traps and glue traps may also be used to quickly
and effectively deal with rodent problems.
The most common rodent control technique is
the application of rodenticide bait. Most products used today are anti-coagulant type baits. These kill the rodent by thinning
the blood until the animal hemorrhages internally. The animal suffers some dizziness, then
dies from the loss of blood. Elimination of rodent using anticoagulants
typically takes from five to ten
days.
Because the
federal government has mandated changes affecting the sales of small amounts of
rodenticide starting June 4, 2011, we currently do not have a product that we
can sell to our customer. Prebaited rodent stations will be
available in the near future. If you need a large amount of
rodenticide (16 pounds or greater), please contact us for pricing.
All rodenticides used outdoors must now be placed in a rodent bait station to
prevent non-target animals from consuming them. We offer those for
sale as well.
An alternative to using baits outdoors is The
Giant Destroyer. This products is a smoke
cartridge which contains sulfur which is ignited with a
wick to create poisonous sulfur dioxide smoke as it burns. The burning
cartridge is placing into active rodent burrows. The smoke will
kill rats living in the burrow.
If you need more information, you can click here to view our product page or call us at 800-433-1128 or
845-356-2837. You may also send us a fax at 845-746-9018. Or send E-mail to us at drbugclinic@bugclinic.com.
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