Throughout winter, you can expect the activity of rats and mice to increase dramatically within the home. However, rodents typically try to stay well out of the way of human beings, which means you will need to become aware of other clues to work out they are present.
In this article, we will provide an overview of some of the main giveaways that unwanted furry pests have made their home within your property.
Edinburgh Pest Control Co. takes great pride in its commitment to effective and thorough service. Call us today on 0131 322 1291.
How to Spot a Rodent Infestation
Outside of spotting the animals themselves, the following are all signs of rodent activity:
- Droppings on the floor or other surfaces
- Teeth marks on wood, or stripped wires
- Noises of movement or squeaking in crawlspaces/walls
- Rub marks of dirt and grease on surfaces/walls
- Footprints in dusty areas
- Evidence of nests
Mice and Rat Droppings
Often, the first hint that people will get that there are rodents in property is the appearance of their faeces. The differences in these droppings can also inform you of whether or not you have a rat or mouse infestation:
Rats: Rat droppings are much larger and generally have rounded ends.
Mice: Mice, on the other hand, produce droppings which are much smaller with sharper ends.
Naturally, the density of droppings can give a clue as to where activity is highest. A small amount might suggest they were just passing, while a larger pile is suggestive of high activity.
Gnawing and Wire Stripping
Teeth are vital for rodents, and as a result, they never stop growing. It is essential that rats and mice take steps to keep them under control, lest they will get out of control.
Wood is a common material that they like to chew on. They will also chew their way into cardboard boxes, either to take some nesting material or to get to any food inside.
Another favourite material for them to bite and chew is the rubber on electrical wires. The specific reason as to why isn’t clear, although this habit causes a huge number of house fires each and every year.
Wall and Crawlspace Activity
One feature of pest control that people find particularly distressing is the noise of mice and rats within walls and crawlspaces. They will often chew holes in order to enter drywall. If you do hear movement inside, it is very likely there is rodent activity.
Whenever you do hear scampering and movement, try and locate to the best of your ability where the sound is coming from. Inform the technicians when they arrive.
Keep in mind that mice and rats have no interest in coming anywhere near you and will actively avoid you. Regardless of the noise, you can sleep soundly!
Greasy/Dirty Rub Marks
Mice and rats do clean themselves, but there is no getting away from the fact they spend most of their time in dirty and grimy environments. This means their coats are full of grease, dirt, and general unpleasantness.
When rodents move around, they will rub against walls and surfaces, leaving behind them the grime that has collected in their coats. Although it is always worth checking with other people around the property if they know where a mark came from, it is generally quite obvious whether or not a rodent was responsible.
Footprints
When a rat or mouse passes through a particularly dusty area, they will leave behind footprints. They will do this fairly often considering they prefer to spend the majority of their time in secluded areas we might not clean.
If you think you might have a rodent infestation, check dustier areas of your home. You might see evidence of small evenly spread out footprints.
Evidence of Nesting
The vast majority of rodents need to make nests; they aren’t known for their long or thick coats. In order to make sure that they can stay warm throughout colder seasons, they need to be resourceful and use human fabrics.
Whenever you notice that some fabrics or textiles around your home have been ripped apart, there is a good chance that rodents have taken it for a nest.
Get in Touch
Rodent infestations need to be dealt with as soon as possible. The damage and risk of disease is a severe problem, and you need to make sure that you are dealing with a company you can trust.
Get in touch with our team now on 0131 322 1291 to arrange for a consultation or to make an enquiry.
Alternatively, fill in our contact form, and we will be in touch as soon as we can.
