How do you know if you have a rodent infestation?

Rodent droppings around food packages, drawers, or cupboards and under the sink. Nesting material, such as shredded paper, cloth, or dry plant matter. Signs of chewing on food containers. Holes chewed through walls and floors that create entry points to the house.

New droppings are shiny and putty-like in texture, while old droppings are hard and brittle. Different stool sizes indicate juveniles and adults, and a lot of droppings can be an indication of a large infestation. The location of the droppings indicates the active areas where you should place bait or traps. Rodent urine has a strong musky smell.

With large infestations, you can easily smell it. Gnawed mouse holes are small, clear and about the size of a dime. Gnawed rat holes are large, about the size of a quarter, with ragged, rough edges. Oily rubbing marks are left in places where rodents travel on walls.

If the rub marks get stained, you know they're fresh. Gnawing marks on the wood around the house are also a sign. Tooth marks about 1/8 inch long are typical of rats and small scratch marks are a sign of mice. Common rodent paths are usually found along interior walls, building foundations, ledges, pipes, electrical cables, ducts, tree branches, and fence rails.

Mice shred paper, ropes and other flexible materials to build their nests indoors. Norwegian rats nest outdoors in burrows deep in the ground. Roof rats usually nest above the ground in attics, trees, or dense vegetation. At night, they often create scratchy sounds as they run inside walls and across the floor.

Pets tend to act unusual when they hear or smell rodents in the house. They may appear extremely alert, bark, or start stroking spaces under refrigerators, stoves, or low-rise furniture. For more information, read Telltale Signs of a Rodent Infestation. Other signs of an infestation are more subtle.

This doesn't mean you can ignore them, since mice reproduce very quickly. A female mouse can give birth to up to 10 litters each year, and the average litter contains 10 to 12 offspring. Mouse droppings are the biggest indicator of an infestation. Mice produce a lot of droppings and you can find them everywhere.

Recognizing mouse droppings is quite simple. Fresh droppings are dark, moist and, on average, as large as a grain of rice. As they age, they turn gray, dry out, and tend to crumble or turn to dust if touched. You're more likely to find excrement in secluded places, such as drawers or cupboards.

They are more common near places where mice feed or nest. If you see mouse droppings, inspect the area to find out if the infestation is active. When we talk about tracks for mice, we refer to the areas they frequent. Clues contain stain marks, urine stains, droppings and other signs of mice.

If you have a large infestation, these clues should be very distinctive. If you notice any gnawing marks in your home, do your best to inspect them. Unlike excrement, gnaw marks get darker as they age. The size of the markings can also indicate if they are mice or something larger, such as rats.

To tell you the truth, a rodent infestation can occur anywhere and more than 21 million homes invade every winter. There is nothing scarier than knowing that you have a problem with rodents that could pose a danger to you and your home. You see, rodents spread more than 35 diseases, some of which can be transmitted directly to humans. Others are infected through rodent bites or contact with rodent urine, feces or saliva, while others spread indirectly through ticks, fleas and mites.

In addition to that, they aggravate allergies and asthma, pose a fire hazard when they chew on electrical cables, and are extremely disruptive. If you notice one or more of these signs, it's advisable to call a professional rodent exterminator right away so they can get rid of the rodent infestation. This is the result of rodent urine odor and is more likely to occur when rodents have recently entered a structure. In this case, the best course of action is to have professional rodent exterminators who come and deal with dead and living rodents once and for all.

Identifying the right culprit rodent and understanding its behavior can help you select the right rodent control solution and help prevent future infestations. Rodent fur and droppings aggravate asthma and allergies, so if you notice someone in the family whose allergy has increased, rodents may be to blame. . .