Table of Contents
Rats and mice are both parts of the ecosystem. But, when they enter your house, they only create a nuisance. They shred your furniture, spoil food items and food containers, and leave their droppings everywhere. Rat or mouse infestation is also a considerable problem because apart from the damage they do to your house, they also bring in a lot of germs that can spread when these pesky rodents come in contact with your belongings. So, it is very crucial to repelling them from entering your house. If you want to know how to get rid of mice or rats from your home efficiently, you must continue reading this page for help.
What are the Signs of Mice and Rat Infestation?
If you have just started suspecting a rodent infestation in your home and are wondering what the signs of rats or mice infestation at home are, then have a look below:
1. Foul Odor
A common sign to detect whether your house is infested with mice or rats is the urine odor of these rodents. When there is more than one rat or mouse, you can easily smell the foul odor of their urine. It’s a very sharp and intense kind of smell. If you have pets in the house, you can notice their behavior. Cats and dogs get excited if there are rodents present in the house. If they seem excited by a spot they didn’t pay much attention to before and start pawing it, this could be a sign of a mouse hiding there somewhere. So, you can take a torch and check the cracks or under the furniture, etc., to check for any rodents.
2. Rodent Droppings
Another way to identify a rat or mice infestation is looking for the rodent droppings. If mice are present in your house, you will see small droppings, somewhere around ¼ inch, and both sides pointed. It should be very small in size, and if the color is dark and shiny, it indicates a fresh dropping, meaning mice are active in the house. Varying sizes of dropping may indicate small and adult mice in your house.
3. Nests
If you find shreds of paper, cloth, bits of plants, or food around, this is also a sign of infestation. Rodents such as mice shred materials needed to build their nests. Your house is infested if you find shreddings and fresh droppings.
4. Scratching Noises
Has it ever happened that you hear some noises when you are about to enter a room, but it stops when you enter the room? Or, when you are sleeping, you hear scratching noises from the walls, drawers, or in the kitchen, etc. Both rats and mice are nocturnal by nature, meaning they are active at night, so if you hear some noises, it could be this pesky rodent looking for food.
5. Gnaw Marks
In case of rodent infestation, you will see gnaw marks on walls, newspaper stacks, any food storage containers, or perishable items. The bite marks are fresh if in lighter color and old if the color is darker. If you keep finding light gnaw marks, this is a sure sign of infestation, and you need to take measures to get rid of the rats or rodents. When you see larger gnaw marks, this could also mean that your house could be infested with rats and mice.
6. Rodent Tracks
If there are rats/mice at your home, their tracks could be along the electrical wires, pipes, interior walls, etc. If you suspect mice in any part of your house, try to sprinkle some baby powder or flour. If mice are present anywhere around, you will be able to see their trails.
What are the Reasons for Rats or Mice Infestation?
Are you wondering what causes mice infestation? There are a couple of reasons that cause a mice or rat infestation in your home. One of the main reasons could be not having a clean house. Mice and rats, like all pests, scavenge for food and take shelter where they can find it. If you have bits and scraps of food lying around or unsealed food items, the rodents can invite in. Rats or mice also enter your home when they want to take shelter during monsoon or winter. They enter your house through holes and cracks inside the house or the exterior walls.
How to Differentiate Between a Rat and a Mouse?
Mice and rats both are rodents, but both behave differently. So, before you set your traps, you must know if rats are present in your house or mice.
Mice:
Mice are usually inquisitive creatures. If they see anything new, they will be interested in it. So, it is very easy to catch them by setting traps. They prefer to eat grains, bits of plants, or anything they can find. They are also afraid of rats because rats can eat mice.
Rats:
Rats, on the other hand, are cautious rodents. If there is anything new on their path, they will avoid it. If you set a trap to catch a rat, it will take time to see one. Like mice, rats can eat almost anything from meat, grains, plants, etc. Rats are larger and have thick fur as compared to a mouse.
How to get rid of Mice or Rats?
Now that you have identified the signs of a mouse or rat infestation in your home, you can implement the following tips on how to get rid of mice or rats at home.
1. Seal All Entry Points
It is important to find out all the potential entry points in your home. It could be a hole or a crack in the wall, open windows, etc. You must seal all the spots with a metal sheet, cardboard, or anything strong to prevent the rodents from entering your house.
2. Keep Your House Clean
Rats and mice usually enter your home when they want shelter or search for food. You must keep your house clean, seal all food containers, and clean all spills. Bits and scraps of food are what attract them. If the mice find it regularly in the house, they will dig a shelter in your home and further damage your house and belongings.
3. Use Mouse Traps
Mice are very curious by nature. If anything new comes to their path, the mice will try to explore it. So, you can try to place mouse traps such as snap traps or glue trays to catch them. When buying snap traps, ensure to pick the one, especially for mice and not rats, as the rat ones are bigger and not very good for trapping a mouse.
4. Hire a Pest Control
If the rodent infestation is getting out of hand and you do not want to catch these pesky rats and mice, you can consider calling a home pest control service. The pest control team will be more professional in handling this infestation problem, and they’ll also use effective pest control devices and sprays to help you get rid of these pesky rodents. Hiring a reliable pest control in Ghaziabad, Hyderabad, Nagpur, etc., or any other city is very easy and affordable.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Mice and Rats Pest Control
1. What naturally keeps rats and mice away from my home?
Mice and rats despise the smell of cloves, peppermint oil, and pepper. So, you can use these natural home remedies to get rid of rats and mice.
2. Does vinegar keep mice away?
Vinegar has a strong smell that both mice and rats dislike and can be used to repel rodents.
3. How do I get rid of the rat or mouse quickly?
One quick way to get rid of them is by using a mousetrap. Mice get curious when they see something new, so they will try to explore the trap and get caught.
4. What are the plants that repel mice?
Mint plants, catnip, camphor, elderberry, sweet pea, daffodils, or lavender can help prevent mice and rats.
5. Does garlic help in keeping mice away?
Yes, garlic has a strong odor that a mouse doesn’t like. You can sprinkle some garlic bits around where a mouse could be hiding and ward it off.
Pratiksha, a Mass-comm graduate, is an in-house content writer for Surf India. Reading and writing are her passion through which she aims to express herself. Her focus is to deliver authentic quality content to her readers so that they get all the valuable information with every minor detail.