Many people call about rodents without knowing which kind they have. That is fine, because naming the animal is the technician's job. Still, a few observations can speed things up and help you decide what to do before the visit.
The clues below are general. None is a sure answer, but together they point in a direction.
Droppings.
| Clue. | Mouse. | Rat. |
|---|---|---|
| Size. | About the size of a grain of rice or smaller. | As big as a large grain of rice, or bigger. |
| Shape. | Small, pointed ends. | Blunter, sometimes capsule shaped. |
| Spread. | Scattered in many places. | Clustered along routes. |
| Place. | Inside drawers and cabinets, behind appliances. | In attics, along rooflines and near burrows. |
Put on gloves if you have to touch anything, and do not sweep dry droppings. Add a coin to the photo so the size is clear.
Gnaw marks.
Mouse tooth marks are small, like fine scratches on plastic or a nibbled corner of a package. Rat marks are wider and deeper, and rats can enlarge a gap by chewing. Fresh marks look pale and rough, while old ones are dull and dark.
Look at cartons of food, soap, candles, wire insulation and wood trim. Gnawing on a vent screen or soft wood near a roof edge suggests an animal that is working on an entry.
Sounds and timing.
Mice are light and quick, and their scratching and scurrying is often high in a wall or under a floor. Rats are heavier. Thumping, dragging and gnawing sounds in an attic at dusk are common descriptions.
Both are mostly active at night. If you hear movement during the day, there may be a larger population, or the animal may be disturbed.
Where you find sign.
Mice tend to stay inside once they are in, using cabinets, pantries and wall voids. Rats often travel between outdoors and indoors, so you may see burrows beside foundations and sheds, runways along fences and sign in the attic.
In a wet, wooded setting, both can be near. A lot with brush, wood piles or tall trees near the roof gives rats routes, and a house with gaps at the base gives mice easy access. Tell us what is around the house.
- Burrows about two inches wide beside foundations point toward rats.
- Droppings in a drawer or cabinet point toward mice.
- Gnawed fruit or nuts outside suggest rats.
- Greasy smears along a wall are common to both.
Scratching in a wall rarely stops by itself. A brief call tells you where things stand.
Ring (888) 686-4821Why the answer matters.
Mice and rats need different traps, different sealing and often different work outdoors. Mouse control focuses on small gaps and interior routes. Rat control begins in the yard and at the roofline.
If you cannot tell, no problem. An inspection identifies the animal, traces the routes and gives you a plan before any money goes to treatment.
What to do while you decide.
Keep food in sealed containers, clean up crumbs, store pet food at night and avoid loose bait. Write down what you noticed and when. When you call, that note will save time.
Look-alikes worth ruling out.
Squirrels, voles, birds and bats can leave marks that seem alike at first glance. Squirrels are active in daylight and leave bigger droppings, voles favor lawns and gardens, and bat droppings crumble into a glittering powder. An inspection sorts them out, and the plan shifts with the animal.
Before you sweep, spray or bag: safety steps
This list repeats federal advice in everyday words, and it holds for any household whether or not it ever hires us.
- Moisture goes on first and wiping comes second, with no dry sweeping anywhere in the sequence.
- A garage, shed or crawlspace that has been shut for a while needs roughly thirty minutes of outside air before you enter.
- Rubber or vinyl gloves go on for anything stained or soiled, and your hands get a long wash in warm soapy water afterward.
- Cover pellets and the surface under them with disinfectant, hold off for about five minutes, and wipe up with throwaway towels.
- All that you wiped up gets sealed in a bag before it reaches a bin, and a dead animal calls for gloves.
- We say nothing about anyone's health. If fever, aches or labored breathing come after contact with waste, see a physician.
Where the safety advice comes from
A short guide cannot hold everything an agency page does, so defer to the agency where the two differ.
- Rodenticide Restrictions, from the EPA: Why the strongest products are kept for licensed applicators, and why store versions arrive as tamper-resistant stations.
- Cleaning Up After Rodents, from the CDC: How long disinfectant should sit, what to wear, and where the waste ends up.