Rodents

Commensal rodents constitute a majority of the rodent problems in both commercial and residential properties. Commensal rodents consist of the Norway Rat, the Roof Rat, and the notorious House Mouse. The word "commensal " means these rodents live off man and return nothing of worth. The only possible category where they could be considered beneficial would be as garbage removal, and that is stretching it even for devoted animal activists.

These rodents are not native to the United States, they came from Europe with early explorers and settlers. Once they discovered the "New World" they, like the early settlers, multiplied and infested the entire continent.

RODENT FACTS:

    All species of commensal rodents carry and spread various diseases. They include salmonellosis, plague, leptospirosis, hantaviriruses, and rickettsial pox.

    Rodents are often infested with fleas which they often share with those with whom they live.

    Rodents consume and contaminate significant numbers of the worlds food supply every year.

    Rodents cause extensive damage to properties by gnawing on wood and wiring, often causing fires.

    Rodents cause some people to jump on chairs and scream, often falling and braking bones.

MICE

There are species of native mice that occasionally invade houses, but the house mouse (mus musculus) are the prominent species that invade houses and businesses.

The House Mouse is found throughout the United States. They are omnivores, feeding on cereal grains, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and meats. Seed is the preferred food. They eat at multiple sites eating small amounts at each site. (20-30 sites per day) Daily consumption is about 1/10 of an ounce leaving the balance contaminated. Mice can be found in cultivated fields, woods, below ground, or on the top floor of the Empire State building. They are excellent climbers and are inquisitive. They explore their home turf daily and inspect any new object.

Mice are prolific breeders and under ideal conditions will breed year round. The female will have an average of eight litters per season with an average of six pups per litter. At five weeks old, the pups are capable of mating. It is not unusual for a female to be lactating her young and pregnant with a new litter.

Recently there have been numerous outbreaks of Hantavirus in the United States carried and spread by the house mouse. The virus is contacted by humans through inhalation of dust in contaminated rodent areas, usually where droppings and contaminated food tend to collect. If you have or have had a mouse infestation, always wear a respirator when cleaning the area. Symptoms of Hantavirus are similar to the flu including fever of 101 +, chills, body ache, and troubled breathing. It can be fatal, so if suspected see your doctor.

The House Mouse: Some interesting facts

	Mice are excellent climbers and can run up most any roughened surface without breaking stride.
	-Mice can swim, and apparently hold their breath. Many have been reported being flushed only to reappear minutes later wet and hungry.
	-Mice Do not have bladders. They will relieve themselves at will anywhere.
	-Mice can jump a vertical distance of 12 inches.
	-Mice can reproduce all year round. They can become impregnated while nursing and have a new litter every forty-fifty days or so. Usually six young per litter.
	-In six months a pair of mice can devour up to four pounds of food and produce 18,000 fecal droppings.
	-Mice can live up to 18 months, but usually average one year.
	-Mice can enter a structure from a hole as small as 1/4 inch in diameter.
	-Mice are disease carriers, and can transmit diseases by biting, infecting food with their droppings, infecting food with urine, indirectly by fleas, indirectly by dying in a water supply, or indirectly via the dog or cat.
	Diseases include: Salmonella bacteria, tape worms, Favus (which causes bald spots), Rickettsial pox (rash, mild fever, and enlarged lymph nodes), Black Plague (from fleas recently reported in Colorado in Prairie Dogs), and Hantavirsus (Flu like symptoms that can be fatal. Cases recently reported in Sacramento and Houston)

RATS

The two commensal rats are as I have mentioned Roof Rat and Norway Rats. The Roof Rat is best suited for tropical and semi-tropical zones. They are a problem in California, the Golf Coast States, Hawaii, and the lower portion of the East Coast. In Kansas City our major rat problem is the Norway Rat (Rattus Norvegicus.)

The Norway Rat is found throughout the United States. They eat meats, fish, flour, seeds, grains, fruits, vegetables, and anything a human will eat. They eat 1-2 ounces of food per day, and drink about an ounce of water per day. They must have water daily to survive.

The Norway is usually grayish-brown, but their color varies. Some are pure gray some pure black, or any combination of the above. They explore their territory of 1-300 feet daily. They have neophobia, or new object fear, which makes them cautious, and any new object in their territory will take them several days before they will accept it. They like mice are color blind, and see poorly. Their sense of smell and touch however are acute. Rats often live in basements or any dark area, or burrow under ground often under front stoops. They are nocturnal feeders.

Young Norway rats are capable of mating at three months. Females have an average of 3-7 litters per year with 6-12 pups per litter. After giving birth, the female goes back into heat in twenty four hours. Adults live approximately one year.

CONTROL

To keep rodents out of a structure, exclusion is always the first and most important step. Mice can enter a structure through any hole 1/4 of an inch. Search your property and repair any holes. A good idea for holes around cables and telephone wires is to stuff them with steel wool prior to repairing them. If a rodent chews on steel wool it will cause internal bleeding and kill them. Pay careful attention to garage doors. The weather stripping at the bottom is often improperly installed with gaps at the corners, or just worn out. This is often the first entry point.

Sanitation is also very important. If you have mice all food products should be stored in containers that can be sealed. This is especially important in the garage. Often dog food or bird seed is stored in bags which mice can chew through. Kitchens need to be kept clean with no food products under sinks or ovens. This is especially important in commercial kitchens. Any water leaks must be fixed to take away a water source. Outside, especially around warehouses, should be weed free and kept clean around the parameter of the structure.

Once a structure is rodent proofed as much as possible the existing rodents must be eliminated and precautions taken to avoid future infestation. Often it is impossible to find and fix all entry points, or they may chew another entry so we bait them outside to be sure of no future entry.

There are two basic means of eliminating existing rodents: trapping or baiting. Standard mice traps are effective for a quick knockdown of a population. They are inquisitive and lured by peanut butter. Trapping them is fairly easy, but a baiting program should be incorporated with it to be sure all rodents are eliminated. If baiting with a rodenticide is impractical or dangerous to pets or products, another solution is permanent traps that do not need to be set daily. There are several types of multi-catch traps.( Please see our products page.)

Rats are not as easy to trap. They will take longer to catch because they will shy away from the traps for several days before they become used to a foreign object and go after the peanut butter. Baiting should also be incorporated with rat trapping. In the event there is an ample food supply (dumpsters etc.) trapping nor baiting will work unless a water source is not readily available. Then a liquid bait will work. If there is an available water source and abundant food the only alternative is tracking powder. This is a rodenticide that is in powder form. Once a rat walks through it sticks to their feet. They lick their feet clean thus ingesting the poison. (This is not a product that consumers are able to buy.)

Baiting is the most effective means of rodent elimination. There are numerous baits on the consumer market that work in varying degrees. For the most part if you are doing rodent control yourself rely mostly on traps. The professional pest control operator has access to a wide variety of excellent baits for both rats and mice. They are usually placed inside a bait station to avoid any contact with children or pets. Rodents tend to feed in dark undisturbed areas, and these stations provide such a place. There are a variety of bait stations also. Some are locking and totally pet proof. These should always be used when baiting outside. (See products)

Once rodents are eliminated inside, bait should be placed in locking bait stations outside, in the garage, and in the basement to avoid future infestation.

Normally rodents that have been poisoned will travel outside to die. Occasionally however they will die inside. This just requires throwing the dead rodent away if it can be found. If it dies inside a wall or some other inaccessible location we use a product called "Dispose" to eliminate the odor until the carcass decays. This only takes a few days and usually one application of Dispose. It sounds more disgusting than it is, and is much cheaper than tearing out a wall to get to the carcass. (Dispose is available on the products page.)

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