Mice & Rat Frequently Asked Questions

When mice find a safe place to live away from predators and have a reliable source of food and water, individuals can live up to 2 or 3 years. However, they rely on their astounding ability to reproduce in large numbers to survive. They begin breeding less than two months after they are born and produce 5 to 10 litters yearly, with an average of ten to 12 babies that soon begin searching for food and breeding themselves. You do not want them to establish a safe place in your home or business to produce litter after litter.

A huge reason that rodents have become such winners in the evolutionary battle is they have the ability to eat just about anything organic. That includes insects, bugs, and spiders. They are true omnivores and make an effort to eat whatever food source is readily available.  In the wild, they feed primarily on vegetation but also happily feast on bugs and spiders if they find them. However, animal science shows that they are not particularly aggressive in hunting spiders or bugs for food. Researchers generally believe that they do not do much to control insect populations.

The behavior of many animal species changes considerably over the four distinct seasons we enjoy in North Carolina, and mice are no exception. When it comes to winter, they do not hibernate like some mammals, although they do greatly reduce their activity in the wild. When they can find warm hideaways inside a home or business, they do not venture out as long as they have available food and water. When summer days get really hot, they seek indoor shelter to stay cool like other mammals. They venture out much more in the summer when increased plant growth provides more cover and food opportunities outdoors.

Unfortunately, mice are natural acrobats, and adept at climbing, and jumping. Their tiny claws are sharp and are exceptionally strong relative to their small size. Their tails are also strong and act as balancing mechanisms that allow them to climb surfaces that are not smooth and hard. They can make their way up vertical walls if the texture is rough enough to give them anything they can grip. Inside interior wall surfaces, they can shimmy their way up and down quite easily through insulation and pipes. We find that the best way to keep them from moving around inside your home is to use professional exclusion methods to keep them out altogether. 

Mice are nocturnal creatures and very rarely make themselves visible in lighted areas. Under ordinary circumstances, they do their foraging for food and water in darkness, as their primary defense against predators is to avoid ever being seen. If you see a mouse in the daytime or a lighted room at night, their nest has likely been disturbed, or they are very hungry. It can also indicate a large infestation inside a building where they are seen. Otherwise, they spend daylight hours resting in their nests, staying warm in winter and cool in summer.

Rodents are constantly in search of food and safe nesting places to breed. The first step is to control easy access to food sources. Keep food waste cleaned up and move the trash into tightly sealed receptacles as quickly as possible. Don’t let uneaten food build up in pet dishes indoors or outdoors, and keep food sealed and properly stored. Mice and rats can squeeze through the tiniest of cracks and holes, and we can recommend proper exclusionary materials to either seal or screen possible openings rodents could use to get inside your home.  We can regularly inspect your property to help make sure that exclusionary practices and materials are working effectively.

Rodents carry and transmit a number of dangerous diseases. Like other mammals, they can transmit rabies through their bites. However, rodents are most dangerous through cross-contamination by contact and through their droppings and urine. They spread microorganisms to food or preparation surfaces they contact. Their droppings and urine directly contaminate food as well as insulation, linens, clothing, and building materials. They also transmit disease by acting as hosts to lice, fleas, and ticks that can then attack humans or pets. They transmit Hantavirus, Salmonella, Typhus, Leptospirosis, E. coli, Plague, and other diseases that have afflicted humans for hundreds of years.

The two most common rat species we find in North Carolina are Norway Rats and Roof Rats. Both are much larger and more destructive than common mice, and it is not unusual to find them in rural and suburban homes and garages.  They are interested in finding shelter where they can stay warm and breed and are close to food sources. Because they are larger than mice and can tear away and destroy building materials more easily, they are commonly found inside homes. Rats can readily take up residence in the wall structures, storage areas, attic, and crawlspace of your home, and with their incredibly sharp teeth, can create openings on their own.

Anyone who has ever kept pet rodents can tell you that they are very social animals. They enjoy spending time together, but only really inside their social group. Just having rodents as pets do not attract other rodents into your home. Their scent doesn’t attract other rodents, and they do not generally prey on one another. However, rodents could easily be attracted to the food inside a pet’s cage. It’s also very important to be sure to keep pet mice, rats, hamsters, and gerbils in their cages because if they are out scurrying around the house, they can attract a number of other pest species that can feed on them.

House and field mice are not aggressive towards humans and rarely bite a unless they feel threatened. It is unusual to see them, even when they have infested a house. They prefer to stay hidden away from light to avoid predators and scavenge around mostly at nighttime. If a person is not directly handling a mouse, it is unlikely for them to even attempt to bite. It certainly is possible that a person could unintentionally provoke a mouse into a bite if they accidentally sit or press on one. However, if a mouse bites someone, they should seek medical treatment, as the animal can transmit several threatening diseases.

Rats and mice are both rodents, but they are different species. If you get a look at both animals, the most obvious difference is their size. Common House Mice found in North Carolina have bodies that are typically no longer than 2 to 4 inches. The most common species of rat we find here is the Norway Rat, which can grow up to 8 to 10 inches long with tails almost as long. Even baby rats are easy to distinguish from adult mice because of their size. Rats can damage more than mice because of their size, but mice can get into much smaller spaces.

Mice and rats are nocturnal animals and can scout around inside your home or business looking for food, water, and nesting material when they are protected by darkness. They leave droppings everywhere they roam, even far away from reliable food sources. For example, they might be feeding regularly on pet food they find in a garage or storage room and leaving droppings inside your house as they are traveling back to their nests or roaming around at night. It is critical to maintain control over food sources rodents are attracted to. Even if your stored food does not show evidence of rodent feeding, their droppings indicate they are nesting and breeding nearby.

Because both rodent species stay hidden from sight, the best way to determine if mice or rats are present inside a building, is to look for the evidence they leave behind. Rats are both larger and more destructive, as they can chew through walls and other materials much easier than mice. Rats destroy wiring and even metal structures to a much greater degree than mice. A single mouse leaves between 40 and 100 droppings daily, which is a good deal more than a single rat leaves behind. Rat droppings are much larger at up to ½ inch long and are easy to distinguish from the tiny droppings mice leave.

Rodents can easily transmit diseases to humans and pets by cross-contaminating surfaces they walk on. They track through their droppings and urine and transmit microorganisms to surfaces they crawl on in kitchens, bathrooms, and food storage areas. Mice and rats also pick up germs from food waste and garbage they can get into, which they then carry onto the surfaces they cross over. They cause viral infections and food poisoning by carrying Hantavirus, Salmonella, and other pathogens on their feet, tails, and bodies onto food preparation and other surfaces.

Pet mice, rats, and other rodents like hamsters, gerbils, and guinea pigs can be good pets in the right environment. However, there are occasions where even clean and healthy-looking pet <a value="https://www.epa.gov/ipm/rodents-and-schools" label="" type="url" href="https://www.epa.gov/ipm/rodents-and-schools" target="_blank" data-runtime-url="https://www.epa.gov/ipm/rodents-and-schools">rodents can carry and transmit disease-causing pathogens. Rodents are not good choices for families with very young children, pregnant women, or those with weakened immune systems. They can also transmit diseases if they bite or scratch humans when being handled. These types of pets should have secure enclosures that are kept clean, and they should not be allowed to play or roam on surfaces where food is prepared, stored, or eaten. 

While it's possible that ingesting baking soda could kill a rat, it's improbable. It would have to ingest a large amount at once for it to work, something that is not likely to happen. A rat would enjoy eating a spoonful of baking soda about as much as you would. Plus, it would be inhumane, as the rodent would suffer a slow, agonizing death. Furthermore, that would leave you with another unsanitary dilemma, locating the decaying carcass, which most likely is nowhere in sight. There is a better chance of making the rat sick and prone to more pathogens. Lastly, it does nothing to stop an infestation. 

Mice and rats communicate through ultrasonic vocalizations, body language, and scent marking. While they don't understand human speech, they can respond to tone, learning to associate certain sounds with specific outcomes, such as food or danger.

Mice and rats typically hoard food, but some have been observed collecting unusual items like shiny objects, buttons, or even small tools. These behaviors are driven by curiosity and the instinct to prepare for future needs.

Whiskers are sensitive tactile sensors that help mice and rats detect their surroundings, even in the dark. They use them to feel objects, navigate tight spaces, and detect vibrations, making them essential for survival.

Mice and rats have adapted to urban environments by learning to exploit human structures for shelter and food. They've developed complex behaviors, like using sewer systems for travel and avoiding human traps and poisons.

The "Rat Park" experiments on addiction and the use of lab mice in genetic research (like the creation of knockout mice) have greatly influenced our understanding of addiction, genetics, and behavior.