If you think you may have a rat living in your attic then you need to get up there and investigate further.
Is it a rat or mouse in our attic.
If your skittering and scampering starts around dawn and lasts through late afternoon you probably have a squirrel on your hands.
But if you do all of a sudden find yourself eye to eye with a furry rodent how do you know whether it is a mouse or rat.
The two most common species of rats in north america are the brown rat commonly referred to as the norway rat and the smaller black rat better know as the roof rat.
There are actually several different ways that you can determine if rats or mice have made their way into your home.
One of the easiest ways to discern if it s a rat or a squirrel invading your home is paying attention to the time of day the varmint is most active.
While there are a number of pests that like to gnaw on wires and pipes rats are the worst offenders.
Mice are afraid of rats because rats will kill and eat mice.
Norway rats tend to stick to the ground and the sewers and basements in their stomping grounds up north.
There are two main species of rats in the us the roof rat and the norway rat.
In the attic pay attention for chewed or ripped up insulation as this is a common indicator that mice have been tearing into it to make nest materials.
Safety is job number one.
House mice live everywhere and they also commonly go inside attics.
Here s another point to note rats and mice are known to carry more than 30 dangerous diseases.
Squirrels are diurnal creatures that are most active during the day.
You may now wonder what you need to do to clean up your attic following a mouse or rat infestation.
Both the norway rat and the roof rats infest homes however it is the roof rat that tends to make nests inside attic spaces.
A mouse can be a little easier to trap than a rat but using these principles it doesn t matter.
Mice have a musky odor.
They can spread these diseases via their feces and urine.
Like food rodents also need a constant water source so look out for chewing around pipes.
Rat odor can be a strong deterrent to mice and affect their behavior.
The most obvious sign that you have rats in the attic is they will leave rat droppings all over the place.
Protecting your health when cleaning up a rodent infestation in your attic.
Mice and rats are both types of rodents and both something that you do not want invading your home.
Once your attic is heavily infested it can be a serious battle to get rid of them.
Mice can be found indoors and outdoors including cities and rural areas.
Mice behave in the same way so to get rid of a mouse do the same things just be aware that they can get in even smaller holes like the size of a dime and that you need to use smaller mouse traps.
The roof rat is more common in warm areas and more likely to enter the attic.
You now are faced with the aftermath of a rodent problem in your home which could have included a mouse or rat infestation in your attic.