Signs Of Rodents

Rodents can seem harmless, particularly when you first notice them. However, allowing rodents to live in your home is a bad idea. Mice and rats can cause lots of trouble. They gnaw on building materials, damage stored items, spread germs, and transmit diseases. If that isn’t enough, they also carry ticks and fleas, which can transmit illness to dogs, cats, and humans. The most important fact to understand about rodents is that they can cause issues a while before you notice a mouse or rat in your home. In today’s blog, we’ll identify types of rodents in Arizona and share the signs of a rodent infestation. Of course, we’ll also tell you what to do if you discover rodent activity in your home.  As always, your Greenway Pest Solutions team is here to answer questions or provide service options. Contact us anytime for assistance.

Roof rats

Also known as black rats, roof rats are a common problem homeowners face. Here are a few facts you should know about roof rats: 

• They are usually dark gray or black.
• They are exceptional climbers.
• They often enter through roof vulnerabilities.
• They can jump 24 inches.
• They can leap several feet.
• They prefer high nesting areas.
• They can avoid traps.
• They reproduce quickly.

You’ll likely find roof rats hiding in your attic and entering through openings in your roofline. These are good places to check first.

Norway rats

Norway rats, also called sewer rats and brown rats, are large rodents that thrive in urban and rural areas. Here are a few facts to keep in mind: 

• They are usually brown.
• They are poor climbers.
• They are burrowing rodents.
• They typically nest at ground level.
• They prefer damp or humid locations.

Check sheds, storage lockers, and crawl spaces first.

Pack rats

Pack rats, also known as wood rats, are famous for collecting and hiding objects in their elaborate nests. Here are a few facts you should know about pack rats:

• They are typically brown or gray.
• They have furry tails.
• They are excellent climbers.
• They often enter through roof vulnerabilities.
• They nest in burrows or high locations.

You can look high or low for these pests. They are quite versatile.

Warning signs mice and rats provide

Now that you know a bit about the most common rodent culprits, let’s focus on the warning signs of a rodent infestation. Here’s what you need to look for in and around your Arizona home:

Droppings

Rodents can’t help but leave droppings behind as they travel. You may find these tiny, shiny, dark-colored droppings on floors and shelves, in drawers and cabinets, and around stored items in your:

• Kitchen
• Pantry
• Attic
• Crawl space under your home
• Garage

These droppings look like grains of rice. Mouse droppings are slightly smaller than rice, and rat droppings are somewhat larger.

Urine stains

Rodents frequently urinate while exploring, leaving a foul smell and saturating surfaces. They also create urine-soaked structures called urine pillars, which consist of dirt, grease, and hair drenched in urine. Look for these warning signs using your eyes or nose in your:

• Attic
• Storage room
• Garage 
• Crawl space 

Grease marks

Rodents moving along walls and surfaces often leave dark-colored markings behind. Look for these marks:

• Around utility gaps
• Around roofline entries
• On soffit holes
• On baseboards
• On attic rafters
• On walls
• Running up the sides of pipes attached to a surface
• On top of horizontal pipes

Mice and rats scale walls, squeeze through holes, and run along baseboards. Every surface a rodent touches repeatedly will acquire a darkening mark that will eventually look like a black stain.

Gnaw marks

Rodents have ever-growing incisors. They must gnaw to file these teeth down. You might find their gnaw marks on:

• Window and door frames
• Sole plates
• Wires and pipes
• Concrete around utilities
• Baseboards
• Walls
• Stored items
• Food containers

When you find the damage that mice and rats cause with their teeth, you may also see droppings, scratch marks, or dark stains caused by grease and dirt from their bodies.

Nesting materials

You may find rodent nests when you search your attic, closets, crawl space, and other secluded spaces. Mice and rats use soft materials to build their nests. These materials often look like messy balls. Look for droppings within or around the nesting materials. You may find rodent nests:

• In your crawl space
• In your attic
• In your garage
• Inside the drawers of stored furniture
• Inside stored boxes
• Under junk piles
• Behind your oven or refrigerator

It is easy to overlook a rodent nest because the materials they use are common, such as clothing fabrics, pillow stuffing, and insulation.

Noises

When rodents infest, you may hear mice or rats crawling inside your home's walls, ceiling, and other spots. Some of the noises you may hear are:

• Scratching
• Bumping
• Thumping
• Gnawing
• High pitched squeaks

You’ll hear these noises at dusk or through the night. Mice and rats prefer nocturnal activity.

Rodent prevention tips

If you haven’t found signs of rodents in your home, that is excellent news! Here are a few tips that can help you keep mice and rats from entering:

• Remove food sources from your yard, such as seeds, nuts, fruit, and food in open trash receptacles.
• Eliminate exterior hiding places by clearing out dense landscaping or clearing yard clutter.
• Seal potential entry points on the outside of the house.  
• Trim branches away from your home’s sides and roof.
• Address water and moisture issues inside and outside.

Diligence and hard work can help you keep these pests away.

What to do if rodents have already gotten in

If you suspect a rodent problem in your home, don’t wait until it worsens. Contact our team of experienced pest control professionals. We provide local pest control services in Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Anthem, and throughout our service area. We’d be happy to inspect your property and eliminate mice, rats, and other pests that have found a way inside. Moreover, we highly recommend signing up for our year-round home pest control plan so you don’t have to worry about pests taking over any time of year.