Rats and mice are common pests in homes that make people feel scared and sick. Even though they look a lot alike, they are different species with different habits that could be harmful to your health and home. To effectively control and handle pests, you need to know the differences between them. We’ll talk about how to tell the difference between rats and mice and why it’s important in this piece.
Different Insights
Size: One clear difference between rats and mice is how big they are. Mouse are a lot smaller than rats. Without their tails, which can add another 7 to 9 inches, adult rats are usually 9 to 11 inches long. But adult mice are much shorter. They are usually only 5 to 7 inches long, not counting their tiny tails.
2. Ears: Rats and mice have ears that are different sizes. Compared to their heads, rats’ ears are pretty small. On the other hand, mice’s ears are big and stand out compared to their bodies.
Tail: Rats have long, scaly tails that don’t have many hairs on them. Mice, on the other hand, have tails that are longer than their bodies and have better fur on them.
Rats’ snouts are blunt and stand out more, while mice’s are smaller and more pointy.
Different Behaviours
- Aggression: Rats are usually braver and more hostile than mice. They might not be afraid of people and can be found most often in open spaces. On the other hand, mice are generally more shy and will avoid coming into direct contact with people.
Activity at Night: Both rats and mice are busy at night, but rats are more likely to go outside at night and less likely to do so during the day.
Rats like to build bigger, more central nests, which they usually hide in places like attics, basements, or wall gaps. You can find mice’s smaller nests in hidden places near where they eat.
What It Means
It’s important to know whether you’re working with rats or mice for a number of reasons:
Effective Pest Control: There are different ways to get rid of different bugs. You can choose the right traps, baits, and ways to keep the animals out if you know the right type.
**2. Health Risks: Both rats and mice can infect people with diseases through their urine, droppings, and bites, but rats are usually a bigger threat because they can infect more areas.
Damage to Property: Both rats and mice can damage your home by chewing on lines, insulation, and structures. Thanks to being bigger, rats may do more damage.
- Food Contamination: Their hair, droppings, and pee can all get into your food and make it sick. Getting rid of foodborne illnesses starts with recognizing the intruder properly.
- Tailored Prevention: If you know what kind of pest you have, you can make your efforts to keep it away more effective. Like, if you have mice, you might need to focus on covering up smaller holes where they can get in.
In the End
Knowing the difference between rats and mice is the first thing you need to do to get rid of and stop bugs from coming into your home. Some things about them are the same, but their size, behaviour, and the health and property risks they might pose are very different. If you think you have an rat infestation, you should talk to a professional pest control service. They can correctly identify the pest and take the right steps to quickly and effectively solve the problem.
Highly effective, unmatched, and affordable rat control service in Port Hope. Service is done by licensed and insured exterminators. Properly fitted with the latest tools and equipment to dispel and eliminate rats from your property.