Rodents

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Species 1

Norway Rat

  • Head and body combined: 7 – 9.5". Tail length: 6 – 8".
  • Can weigh up to 1 – 1½ lbs (the weight of a single baseball).
  • Muzzle blunt; eyes and ears small.
  • Fur is coarse, shaggy brown with scattered black hairs.
  • Droppings up to ¾" long, capsule-shaped with rounded ends.
  • Omnivorous — meats, fruits, grains and nuts.
  • Dead animals also serve as food; capable of catching small fish and rodents.
  • Require water to drink and nest as close to a water source as possible.
  • Poor eyesight, but can run, climb, jump and swim.
  • Signs: gnaw marks, droppings, tracks/footprints, burrows, runways and damaged goods.
  • Leave rub marks along frequent paths from grease on their fur.
Norway rat
Species 2

Roof Rat

  • Head and body combined: 6 – 8"; tail 7 – 10" long.
  • Usually weigh 5 – 9 oz, up to 12 oz (weight of a can of soup).
  • Fur is soft and smooth.
  • Brown with black intermixed; gray to black above with white, gray or black underside.
  • Pointed muzzle, large eyes and large ears.
  • Eat fruits, vegetables and cereals.
  • Poor sight; well-developed other senses.
  • Signs: gnaw marks, droppings, tracks, rub and swing marks, damaged goods.
  • Primarily nocturnal.
Roof rat
Species 3

House Mouse

  • Head and body combined length 7".
  • Weight about 12 to 30 grams.
  • Smooth fur, dusty gray above, light gray or cream on belly — fur can vary greatly.
  • Pointed muzzle, small eyes, large ears.
  • Droppings 1/8 to 1/4" long, rod-shaped with pointed ends.
  • Poor sight; very inquisitive.
  • Prefer to nest in dark spaces.
  • Mostly nocturnal.
  • Prefer to eat insects and seeds.
House mouse
Species 4

Deer Mouse

  • Known as the white-footed mouse.
  • Head and body about 4" long.
  • Pale grayish to reddish brown above and white below; tail always sharply bicolored.
  • Muzzle pointed, eyes small, ears large.
  • Nocturnal.
  • Nest in any tight, protected places indoors or outdoors.
  • More common in farming and rural areas.
  • Of health concern — primary carriers of hantavirus.
  • Primarily feed on insects, seeds, nuts and fruits.
Deer mouse
Species 5

Voles

  • Stocky, rounded rodents with short tails, short ears and a blunted nose.
  • Chestnut brown with black on the back.
  • 3 – 9".
  • Sometimes referred to as "meadow mice" or "field mice".
  • Herbivore — mainly fibrous plants such as grass.
  • Do not hibernate; active throughout the year.
  • Nests typically constructed in underground burrows.
  • Do not reproduce indoors — mainly outdoor pests.
Vole
Species 6

Moles

  • Bluish-black to gray fur.
  • Slender snout, teeth like needles.
  • Flattened feet, claws and small ears.
  • Grow up to 12" long.
  • Pointed noses distinguish them from meadow voles, gophers and shrews.
  • Noses extend well in front of their mouths.
  • Small eyes and ears concealed by fur.
  • Feet are spade-like, wider than long.
  • Feed on underground insects such as worms.
  • Do not eat bulbs and roots of plants/vegetables.
  • Signs: discharged mounds of soil and heaved runways. Make subsurface and deep runways.
Mole

Controlling rodents

  • Exclusion is always the best method of control.
  • First determine activity sites — look for droppings, this is generally where they will be feeding.
  • Glue boards and traps placed in areas where they are located.
  • Baits should be a last option.
  • Identification, sanitation, harborage elimination, and exclusion are the four pillars.

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