Pest Control Services – Rodents

House Mouse
The adult house mouse is small and slender – about 1-2 inches long, excluding the tail. It has a pointed nose, large ears, small eyes, and a nearly hairless tail. The tail is as long as the head and body combined. The color varies a bit. It is usually light grey or brown but could also be in darker shades. More here on San Antonio Rodent Control

Unlike other pests, house mouse numbers are not limited by lack of water. Mice can get enough water from food, even from dry cereals. If there are good living conditions, they can multiply rapidly. Females produce 8 or more litters per year, with 5 to 7 pups.
House mice can gnaw through wood, asphalt shingles, and soft mortars. They can squeeze through tiny cracks 1 cm in size. House mice leave small dark brown droppings wherever they go. These droppings are the first indication of mice problems.
Mice make their nest from soft materials like paper, insulation, or furniture stuffing. These nests can be found in walls, ceiling voids, storage boxes, drawers, under appliances, or within the upholstery. Outside nests are found in debris or in ground burrows.

Norway Rat
The Norway rat – also known as the brown rat, is giant and more aggressive than the Roof Rat. It is dull brown and measures 12 1/2″ to 17″ from nose to tail. The nose is blunt, with small ears and small eyes. The tail is shorter than the head and body combined.
The young rats reach sexual maturity in 2-3 months. The female averages 7 liters per year with 8-12 pups per litter. Adults live for about one year. They live in colonies. The Norway rat generally prefers to live in underground tunnels. Their nesting burrows on the outside are often along the foundations of walls. As the rat family grows, more burrows are built, resulting in many underground tunnels. Inside buildings, Norway rats commonly nest on the lower levels, but while the population grows, they may go into attics and ceiling areas.
Rats are nocturnal, with their peak activity taking place at dusk or before dawn. Activity can also occur during the day when the population is large or the colony is hungry and disturbed.

Roof Rat
The roof rat is also called the black rat. It is slimmer than the Norway rat and has more prominent ears. The tail is longer than the combined length of the body and head. Roof rat nests are usually in the ceilings and attics. Both roof rats and Norway rats are good climbers and can climb up the inside and outside of pipes. Roof rats can climb even wires. Female rats have up to 7 liters per year of 8-12 pups per litter.
Rats can get into a home through a hole about the size of a quarter. Rats damage structures, chew wiring and cause electrical fires, eat and urinate on human and animal food and carry many diseases. Because of poor vision, rats rely mainly on smell, taste, touch, and hearing.
Accidental poisoning could occur among humans and pets from poorly placed poison. Call professionals if you are having a problem controlling rats. Please contact us for further information.