Having rodents in your home can expose you and your family to multiple health threats. Rodents can spread disease-causing germs through their urine and droppings. In addition, they can inflict injuries through bites. Rodents can also damage your home as they chew and gnaw. Thus, the quick elimination of a rodent population is important. Nevertheless, before you begin an extermination process, you need to know that you actually have rats or mice. Here are a few indications that rodents have invaded your living space.

Droppings

Mice and rats often leave droppings throughout areas that they frequent. The size and number of droppings can vary based on the type and size of a rodent infestation. Mouse droppings tend to be small and football-shaped. Rat droppings are often larger and may or may not have pointy ends.

By checking the consistency of the droppings, you can determine whether or not they were recently deposited. Droppings with a hard, crumbling texture are usually old. However, those with a shiny, doughy consistency have been deposited more recently.

The size and number of the droppings can also offer clues about the size of the infestation. Larger infestations typically release a large number of droppings. In addition, the dropping sizes may vary when both adult and juvenile rodents are present.

Urine Odors

The smell of rodent urine is pungent and strong. It can easily be detected when a large number of mice or rats have infested a home. The stronger the smell, the larger the infestation is likely to be.

Holes in Walls and Cupboards

Mice and rats gnaw through walls and cupboards as they travel about. With a mouse, the gnawed hole may be small, with defined edges. A hole that has been created by a rat will be larger, and due to the larger teeth, the edges are typically rough or scraggly.

Scratching Sounds at Night

Rats and mice are nocturnal. Thus, they move about at night. As they move within walls and along floors, you may notice a scratching sound. Your pets may hear the sounds first. As a result, a pet may claw at areas beneath appliances and furnishings. Additionally, they may bark or stare at a specific area. 

If you believe that you have a rodent infestation, contact a pest control company, like 1st Solution Pest Control, to schedule a consultation. A professional exterminator can help you eradicate the rodents in your home safely and quickly.