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Serving Wisconsin & Minnesota Call for inquiries about service 1-800-236-8735 |
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Rodent Category |
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• About Rats The Norway Rat or "Brown Rat" is the most common rat in the world and the only one found in northern regions of the USA. Norway rats range in size from 7 - 9 ½ inches (head/body) with a tail 6 - 8 inches long. Norway rats are destructive, they contaminate food with their droppings and urine, and they're known carriers of diseases. They can even start fires by chewing on electrical wires. Tip: Signs of a rat problem include finding fresh droppings (shiny-black w/blunt ends, about ¾" long), gnaw marks or damaged goods, and/or greasy-looking rub marks on vertical surfaces. |
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• House Mouse The Common House Mouse ranges in color from light gray to brown. They are prolific breeders and can squeeze through an opening of just over ¼ inch. House mice leave about 50 droppings per day, and do so essentially wherever they travel. Their droppings & urine contaminate food which is (most typically) how they transmit diseases. Tip: Finding fresh droppings (soft/shiny-black w/pointed ends, about ¼" - ½" long), gnaw marks on food packages and/or greasy-gray rub marks along their runways are tell-tale signs of mice. |
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• Deer Mice Deer mice (and white-footed mice) range in color from grayish buff to deep reddish brown on top, with white undersides and feet.. They usually invade structures in rural areas but are also found in structures near wooded suburban areas. Deer mice are nocturnal rodents that feed primarily on insects & centipedes, nuts, seeds, berries and small fruits. They're also excellent climbers. Important: Deer mice are of great medical concern because they're known carriers of hantavirus. Never vacuum or sweep their droppings. Thoroughly wet the area with a disinfectant, then carefully wipe up the droppings with a wet cloth. |
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• Meadow Voles Meadow Voles, also known as meadow mice or just plain "voles", are chunky-looking rodents (about 7 inches long) with a short stubby tail. Their usual foods are grasses, plants and seeds; however, they also eat bark from small trees, insects, and even the remains of other animals. Voles occasionally roam inside but the main concern is the damage they cause to lawns and vegetation. Voles live on the surface of the ground, creating little round tunnels in grassy vegetation. They can cause severe damage, especially during winter when they're active under snow cover. Vole damage is most noticable in early spring after the snow melts. It's hard to miss their surface runways which leave a ragged, chewed-up appearance in lawns or grassy areas. |
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• Shrews Shrews are small mammals like mice but they're not actually rodents. Shrews are insectivores that feed primarily on insects, spiders and slugs. They live in gardens and wooded areas where food supplies are abundant. The masked shrew is most common in the north and ranges from drab gray to almost all black in color. Shrews are often mistaken for voles (meadow mice). ID Tip: Shrews have a distinct pointy snout while voles have a more blunt or rounded snout. |
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• About Rodent Control For more information about rodent pests and custom-designed control programs, contact a Wil-Kil Pest Specialist at (800) 236-8735. |
