Rodent Identification Guide

Mice, rats, and voles are examples of rodents that live in large populations throughout Idaho. All three have developed a close relationship with people and regularly find their way onto our properties.

Mice are very common invaders in our homes. These rodents have bodies covered in gray or brown fur with lighter-colored fur on their bellies and a triangular head, pointed nose, and a long skinny tail covered in a light layer of fur.

Adult rats are larger than adult mice. Some have an athletic build and are agile and excellent climbers; others have a dense, heavy body and are poor climbers. Rats tend to have a more blunt nose than mice, and their tail is thicker, scaly, and hairless. Rats usually have brown or black-colored fur.

Voles have small ears and rounded snouts. They have a round, chunky body covered in black or brown fur. Mice and voles can easiest be told apart by their tails; voles have short, hair-covered tails.

Rodents are considered dangerous for the following reasons:

• They spread pathogens and parasites that make us ill, and their shed fur and feces contaminate food prep areas and your family's food.
• A rodent's chewing habits cause costly and dangerous destruction. Wires, cables, pipes, floors, furniture, and walls can all be damaged by a rodent's sharp teeth.
• Rodents can trigger fires, electrical shorts, and water damage inside homes and other structures.
• Their presence can create a musty, unpleasant odor in your home; this odor is usually most potent in the area of your home where they are nesting.

Unfortunately, rodents are a problem that most homeowners will have experience with at one time or another. Rodents have come to discover that our properties offer them sheltered nesting spots that are close to food and water.

Whether you are in a densely populated urban area or a more rural location next to wide-open spaces, rodents are around and could become your next uninvited houseguest.

Discovering a problem with rodents as soon as possible is the best way to minimize the damage they can cause. In addition to actually seeing a rodent scurrying across your floors, the following are signs of a rodent infestation:

• Holes chewed in boxes or bags that store dry goods
• Grease marks along walls or furniture
• Scratching or running sounds behind walls and above ceilings
• Rodent droppings on floors, in drawers, and inside cabinets
• Lights or other electrical items are suddenly not working

Rodents are prey animals and do their best to stay hidden from predators. Therefore rodents like to live and build their nests in quiet secluded areas. Outside, rodents like to live in areas with a lot of ground cover, tall grass, and dense vegetation. In our yards, woodpiles, play structures, and yard debris offer them the cover they are looking for.

Rodents like to live outside, but some, like mice and rats, regularly move into our homes, sheds, and garages to escape harsh weather, cold temperatures, and find food. Inside our homes, their most common nesting spots are wall voids, spaces behind cabinets, cardboard boxes, the back of closets, and under large pieces of furniture.

Don't share your home with rodents any longer than necessary. Eliminate rodents in the fastest and most efficient manner possible by reaching out to us at Sawtooth Pest Control.

Trust our professionals and 18 years of combined experience to remove mice, rats, or voles from your property. Our rodent control and exclusion services include thorough inspections, appropriate treatments, and exclusion work to keep rodents from returning in the future. Speak with one of our professionals today to learn about our rodent control or gopher and vole control options and how we can work together to help you keep your property free of unwanted rodents!

Prevent rodents from taking over your home with the assistance of the professionals at Sawtooth Pest Control and the following helpful tips:

• Limit a rodent's access to food by keeping lids on trash cans, storing pet food properly, keeping outdoor eating areas free of leftover food, and regularly harvesting gardens.
• Keep a clean kitchen and store your family's food out of the reach of hungry rodents.
• Cut back tree branches from your roofline.
• Keep the grass in your yard cut short and cut shrubs back from your home's exterior walls.
• Remove hiding spots from your yard like rock piles, fallen trees, woodpiles, and construction debris.
• Use a tough material like steel wool to fill spaces around cables and wires to help keep rodents out of your home.
• Inspect your foundation and roofline for openings; repair any openings you discover.