Is It Rats or Mice?

When you have a rodent infestation, it’s never a pleasant experience regardless of what the animal is. However, it can be important to specifically identify what type of infestation you have on your hands.

Understanding whether you have a mouse or rat problem can be difficult. Many times, people will mistake young rats for full-grown mice.

You need to be aware of how to identify and discern one from the other. This is especially true considering that rats can be a dangerous problem when compared to mice.

This article will explain how to tell the difference between a mouse and rat infestation.

Difference In Appearance

If you see them in person, understanding how to identify the difference in appearance is important. However, you may not get this opportunity, so remember it’s also critical to be aware of other signs.

• Adult mice are about 7 inches, and rats are about 18 inches
• Mice have thin, slightly hair tails, and rats have thick, hairless, scaly tails
• The nose of a mouse is triangular and flat; a rat’s nose is longer and more rounded
• Mouse droppings are about ¼-inch, and rat droppings are about ¾-inch

Signs

Mice will often leave multiple signs of their existence. You may notice debris or chewed pieces of paper and droppings.

Rats will normally leave no traces, save for a torn bag of food or something similar. Another habit of rats is the fact that they will take food back to where they live. Mice will consume food on the spot and then leave.

Reproduction

Another huge difference between rats and mice is the frequency of reproduction. Many people assume mice reproduce faster than rats, but this isn’t true.

A female mouse may birth up to 300 offspring during a female mouse’s life. While this may seem like a large number, it pales in comparison to a rat. A female rat can give birth to up to 2,000 offspring during her lifetime.

Diet

Although both of these rodents are omnivores, their preferences are different. Mice prefer fruits, grains, and nuts. Rats tend to gravitate more towards meat, fish, and pet food. Mice will also consume other mice and even self-consume their tails during periods of intense hunger.

Both of these infestations should never be taken lightly. A few mice or rats can quickly turn into a double-digit problem if it’s not handled. Contact Mice Mob Exterminators today if you believe the problem has already grown out of control