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Rat & Mice Control

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Rat & Mice Control

House Mice is a mammals belonging to Order Rodentia. Mice are part of the huge mammal family known as rodents (from the Latin rodere, “to gnaw”).

This name refers to their gnawing behavior, which is required to control the size of their unique front incisor teeth, which have a chisel-like structure.

Mice are usually thought of as omnivorous scavengers who are highly adaptive. They are nocturnal and extremely agile animals. If the population is very large, food is in short supply, there is little disruption, or there is little danger, they may roam and feed during the day. They are extremely attentive to and concerned about environmental changes as they move to and from the nest site.

The physical characteristics of house mice include-

  • Brown or grey fur
  • Head length is about 8-10cm
  • The tail length also of 8-10 cm
  • Weight of 14-20 grams
  • Small, slender shaped body
  • Sharp nose
  • Large and hairy ears
  • Pink colour feet
  • Small spindle or irregular-shaped droppings.

House Mice

The types of disease spread by mosquitoes include:

  • The common house mouse is tiny in size.
  • Their life expectancy is about 12 months.
  • Every year, females may produce 6-10 litter. With a gestation period of three weeks, sexual maturity appears at around six weeks.
  • House mice are intelligent creatures that are able to live with people indoors or outdoors.
  • They eat various foods, such as fruits, nuts, grains, cereals, and animal feed.

Diseases Transmitted by Rodents

  • Plaque
  • Poliomyelitis
  • Rat bite fever
  • Trichinosis
  • Typhus
  • Hantavirus
  • Leptospirosis
  • Pneumonic plague
  • Murine typhus fever

Why Mice are Considered as Pests

Mice can contaminate food, cause physical harm, and transmit diseases to humans. Hence their presence in buildings is typically viewed as undesirable.

1) Direct Contamination

  • Mice’s urine or faces contaminating meals or utensils. Examples include- food poisoning from Salmonella, mild meningitis, Weil’s illness, a bacterial infection causing jaundice, and tapeworm.
  • Direct contamination from urine or faces, where germs appear to infiltrate the skin through tiny scratches; an example of this is Weil’s illness.
  • Direct human bites contamination, such as rat-bite fever and relapsing fever (bacteria)

2) Indirect Contamination

  • Indirect contamination is caused by ectoparasites that feed on blood, such as fleas; examples include the bubonic plague and murine typhus fever (Rickettsia).
  • Indirect contamination from pets to humans, such as favus, a skin condition caused by a mouse to pets to humans fungus.
  • For instance, trichinosis (worm-infested mice eaten by a pig, worm-infested pig eaten by a human) is an indirect infection caused by being consumed by an intermediate carrier.

3) Physical Damage

  • House mice physically harm furniture, books, food containers, doors, skirting boards, and upholstery.
  • Telephone systems have broken down and short-circuited due to wire and cable nibbling, which might lead to equipment damage.

Signs of Rodent Activity

  1. DROPPING – Rodent species can be determined by looking at the droppings. They indicate extremely recent activity when they are shiny, black, and flexible. Typically, they dry out in 2-3 days and become dull and hard. Eventually, they may also be attacked by insects. Consider into account cleaning up droppings from specific areas so that a later inspection will more clearly show whether or not there has been continuous activity.
  2. GNAWING– To keep their incisors down, rodents must gnaw. They frequently munch on items such as conduits, cables, soft metals, soap, food containers, and timber. If there are recent gnawings visible next to and below the chew marks, this suggests recent activity.
  3. URINE STAINS– When exposed to a black (ultraviolet) light, rodent urine causes surfaces to glow. Mice’s urine frequently has the appearance of being sprinkled on the ground. Use caution when using a black light because some substances besides rodent urine may show fluorescent properties.
  4. SOUNDS– Building occupants can draw attention to sounds observed at night or in the evening. The common phrases used for these include bumping, squeaking, chewing, clawing, and sometimes fighting.
  5. ODOUR– An ongoing rodent infestation typically leaves behind a distinct smell.
  6. NESTS – Nests may be located in hidden areas of buildings. They are typically made of rags, paper, cardboard, straw, and other materials, and if there are recent droppings, they are probably active. Food collections, even snail shells, may indicate that house mice breeding grounds are nearby.
  7. RUNWAYS AND RUBMARKS– Surfaces have developed these greasy smear marks from long-term contact with soiled, smooth mice fur. Usually, they are most noticeable on vertical surfaces, and they are particularly helpful for placing bait stations and traps, whether they are baited or not, as well as for rodent-proofing methods. They suggest no current rodent activity if they are covered with dust or cobwebs.