COBB COUNTY EXTENSION SERVICE

email: uge1067@uga.edu

         Rodents: Rats and Mice

                        Laurene Hall      

                  Horticulture Program Assistant

                 Cobb County Extension Service

We hate to say it, but there are all kinds of ugly, little, hairy pests running around inside and outside your home.  Judging from the number of calls received in our Extension Office on this subject, these pests can be annoying, as well as damaging to lawns, gardens, and homes.

In late summer and early fall, rat and mice families are large.  The onset of cold weather may cause them to move into structures in search of shelter and food.  The best way to determine whether a particular pest problem you are having can be attributed to a rat or mouse is the ability to identify these pests.  Here is a list of rat and mouse critters that are common to the Metro Atlanta area:

Seeing a mouse during daylight hours does not necessarily mean that a high population is present, although this is usually true for rats.

Rats and mice will inhabit a variety of places including woodpiles, bushes, tall grasses, and underground burrows. They often find shelter in buildings, cars, appliances, and furniture that has been put outside. They are most attracted to garbage cans with loose lids, birdseed, pet food in pet dishes, and fruits and berries on the ground.  Furthermore, compost bins containing meat, fish, poultry, or dairy wastes are rat magnets.  Do not put these items in your compost.

Once inside your home, rats and mice will eat the same foods as humans.  They will attack anything they can get into (such as loosely sealed items or containers made of materials they can gnaw through), including: grains, cereal, oats, rice, vegetables, meats and fish, nuts, and fruits.

Rat or Mouse Indicators

Ø       Droppings: mice = size of black rice grains, rats = size of Tylenol;

Can be seen along runways and feeding areas

Ø       Tracks: footprints or tail marks, on dusty surfaces or in mud

Ø       Urine: (both wet and dry) can be seen under ultraviolet light

Ø       Runs or Burrows: habitual pathways found along walls and fences

Ø       Smudge marks: marks on walls, beams, rafters or pipes resulting from oil and dirt rubbing off rat’s fur

Ø       Gnawing:  chewed doors, ledges, walls, as well as accumulations of wood shavings and insulation

Ø       Sounds: gnawing, scratching, clawing, various squeaks, and fighting noises are common where rats are present

Prevention and Control

The time to act is before there are signs of a rat or mouse.  Try these preventive measures:

Ø       Stack fire wood 18 inches off the ground and away from all buildings.

Ø       Birdhouses and seed should be on poles and in trays rats cannot reach.

Ø       Keep garbage can lids closed tightly.

Ø       Remove leftover pet food from pet dishes and pick up fruit and vegetables off the ground.

Ø       Do not compost animal products (fish, meat, chicken, cheese, butter, etc).

Ø       Keep any food in closed containers that rats cannot chew through.

Ø       Seal holes in your house that are 1 in. – 1 ½ in. wide or larger.  Use materials that will resist rodent gnawing (i.e. concrete mortar, galvanized sheet metal, and heavy-gauge hardware cloth).

(* Tip: stuff holes with steel wool and then place caulking over hole to further deter rodents from gnawing          

    that area)

Ø       Roof rats enter homes from tree branches that hang over the roof. Keep trees cut back and cover any openings in the eaves.

Good sanitation practices are the best prevention procedures.  Excluding rodents from your home should not only be your first step, but also your most effective option.

To kill a mouse or rat, use a trap! The best trap is the simple, cheap, wooden "snap trap." There are a variety of effective traps sold in hardware stores. The most important aspect to trapping is to use plenty of them.  Bait traps with foods that have a strong odor, such as peanut butter or bacon. Place them along the wall (at a right angle), in cupboards, drawers, and other place where rodents run.  First, put out baited,

un-set traps.  After the rodents have been become accustomed to feeding from the traps (usually takes about

2 – 3 days), set these traps.  Here are some examples of traps:

 Figures 1& 2: Snap Traps         Figure 3: Glue Traps       Figure 4: Live Cage Trap

In cases where rodent infestations are extreme and all trapping efforts have been exhausted without any sign of effectiveness, there is a last resort.  Rodents find some types of tastes and odors objectionable, but chemical repellents are seldom a practical solution.  Ropel is registered for use in repelling rodents from gnawing on trees, poles, fences, shrubs, garbage, and other objects.   There are several registered poisons for rodent control.  Contact our County Extension Office for chemical recommendations.  Poison baits should be used outside of the home.  Mice or rats need to eat them each day for about a week before they die. Maintain a continuous supply of bait for 15 days or until feeding ceases, thus ensuring that the entire rat population has ample opportunity to ingest a lethal dose of the bait.  Pre-baiting  (offering mice and rats non-toxic bait prior to applying toxicant-treated bait) is recommended to increase bait acceptance.  Poisons are not highly recommended for rat control, because children or pets may eat them by mistake. Pets can be poisoned by any contact with a poisoned rat.  Also, poisoned rats can die in hard to reach places, causing a very bad odor.  Always observe all directions, restrictions, and precautions on pesticide labels.

Dead rats must first be wrapped in newspaper, or placed in a plastic bag before putting them in a tightly covered garbage can. Try not to touch the dead rat because they are known to carry and transmit diseases. Use gloves if possible and thoroughly wash your hands with hot water and soap after getting rid of dead rats (even if you used gloves).

A combination of preventive measures and good control techniques should keep mice and rats away from your home.  It is necessary to regularly maintain these practices to decrease the likelihood of future rodent problems.  Encourage your neighbors to follow the same guidelines.  This will help prevent rodent problems from affecting the whole community.  Do not give food and shelter to these most unwanted guests!

The University of Georgia and Ft. Valley State University, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and counties of the state cooperating. The Cooperative Extension Service offers educational programs, assistance and materials to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, age, sex or disability.

Page last updated 11/03