Rats vs. Mice: What’s the Difference?

Whether it’s wood, drywall, plastic, or electrical wires, mice and rats love to chew on your home. Is one more damaging than the other?

My friend recently purchased a house. As she packed up and moved out of her rental, a tennis ball was discovered stuffed under a little-used cabinet. When she mentioned it to the landlord, he replied, “Yeah, those keep rats out.”.

She slept there for the last time.

Rats and mice carry the hantavirus. Approximately a third of the world’s food supply has been contaminated by them, according to entomologist Shane McCoy of Ehrlich Pest Control. Which pest causes the most damage, and what’s the difference between them?

Before we go there, let’s review what we’re dealing with.

Read More Guanaco Vs Llama

What Is a Rat?

The Rodentia order consists of small mammals known as rats or mice. Rodentia means “to gnaw” in Latin, which refers to rodents’ constant chewing. Norway rats and roof rats are all members of the Rattus genus, which is appropriately named.

The nose to the tail length of a rat is about 16 inches, and it weighs between 12 and 16 ounces. The fur of their long tails can be brown, black, gray, or white, depending on the species.

It is common for rats to nest under rocks and vegetation near the foundation of your home, according to McCoy. Burrows of this type can reach a length of seven feet. A common place for indoor rats to nest is in walls, attics, voids in equipment, and in furniture voids.

What Is a Mouse?

A mouse, which is also a rodent, weighs between half and one ounce. The typical house mouse belongs to the genus Mus. Just like other rodents, mice need to gnaw their teeth diligently.

Mice usually live outside buildings in grassy and wooded areas, feeding on seeds and insects. Despite this, mice are still attracted to our homes due to the warmth and smell. It is common for them to enter through small openings and under doors. Find out what types of mice you might encounter in your home.

An adult mouse measures between five and eight inches in length, including the tail. House mice have large ears and light brown or gray fur.

Read More Kuvasz vs Maremma

Differences Between Rat vs. Mouse Behavior

What is the difference between a mouse and a rat? McCoy disagrees. A species’ behavior is unique in addition to its size.

McCoy claims that mice are more curious than rats and are more likely to enter traps. As a homeowner, McCoy recommends overcoming their apprehension about setting rat traps.

It takes rats 25 to 100 feet to find food, but mice can only reach 10 to 30 feet away from their nests. McCoy says homeowners should be aware of that.

There is a high likelihood that mice will live in closets, garages, and basements where food is stored, including dog food and bird seed.

Rats vs. Mice: Which Can Cause More Damage to a Home?

It depends on the situation.

Due to their small size, mice can get behind walls and appliances, chewing on baseboards, drywall, insulation, and electrical wiring. According to McCoy, they also dribble urine everywhere they go.

Considering where mice wander unabated in a home, there’s a lot of pee in many places you don’t want it. Mouse urine smells unpleasant. It also damages wood and other building materials. It’s no picnic to clean up mouse poop either, as exterminator horror stories attest.

It is similar to how mice damage homes when they gnaw, nest, pee, and poop. The larger size of rats, however, makes them far more destructive than mice. The tooth marks left by rats on wood, windows, doors, wiring, and PVC pipes are about an eighth of an inch long.

McCoy says rats are much more likely to cause infestations than mice. Their establishment is just easier.

They don’t need much food or space, and they do not need a separate water source. McCoy says they’re perfectly happy living in voids in walls or under stoves, chewing and reproducing since they get all their water from food. Every year, mice have five to six pups.

McCoy says rats are hard to get rid of because of their cautious nature. Consequently, they stay around longer and have more pups per year – six litters of 8 to 9 pups. The longer it takes to catch them, the more damage they cause.

Rats vs. Mice Prevention

The key to rodent prevention is sanitation and exclusion, according to McCoy. It is best to make your home unattractive and inaccessible to rodents in order to prevent them from entering. The exterior of your home can be easily infested by mice if it has a quarter-inch opening. Rats are measured at one-half inch.

According to McCoy, rats and mice need food, water, and shelter to survive. When these resources are scarce, population growth is limited.”

To prevent your home from being damaged by rodents, follow these tips:

Sanitation

Dog food and bird seed should be stored in heavy-duty plastic or metal containers.
Make sure pet dishes are picked up at night. Ensure that dog waste is picked up every day.
Food shouldn’t be left on kitchen counters.
Baffles are one method of deterring rodents from feeding on birds.
Store firewood away from your home and off the ground.
Keep your landscaping around the foundation of your home in good condition. Don’t let vegetation and debris pile up.
Trash bags should be used for all household waste, and bin lids should be tightly closed.

Read More Basset Hound Vs Dachshund

Exclusion

Properly screened and tightly fitting vent covers should be used in crawlspaces.
Vents and chimneys should be screened and capped.
Wall penetrations should be sealed around pipes, ducts, and cables.
Make sure the garage doors are completely closed.
Keep the gap under 1/4 inch. There should be a gap under and around doors. There should be weatherstripping installed.

Mice vs. Rats Control

Keeping mice and rats out of your home after you have strengthened your defenses is easy with these tried-and-true methods.

Homeowners like snap traps because they work. Set traps away from droppings. There is a large size difference between rat traps and mouse traps.
McCoy suggests baiting traps with peanut butter, beef jerky, fish, or fruit. Pre-bait those traps a few days in advance to increase your chances of catching rats.
McCoy recommends following the instructions on mouse and rat poison labels. Tamper-proof bait stations should also be used. Exposed kids and pets are at risk of death.
Keep a healthy degree of skepticism in mind when considering “ultrasonic” mice and rat control. However, some users have reported success using the devices against rats and mice, McCoy says.

Read More Llama vs Camel