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Do Bird Feeders Attract Rats?

. Posted by in ,
a rat in grass

Many people love to watch the birds that come to their yards. They set out feeders to make life a little easier for these much-loved animals and encourage many different types of birds to visit. But, can bird feeders attract other, less desired wildlife species? For example, do bird feeders attract rats? Unfortunately, the answer is yes: Bird feeders can and do attract rats to your yard.

Rats living in the wild feed on all sorts of things. They are scavengers and opportunistic omnivores. This means they will eat whatever they can find, whether it is plant or animal matter. Their primary food source in the wild tends to be fruits, nuts and seeds. This is why the seeds in bird feeders are a big draw for these pests.

Rats are also excellent climbers. Even if you hang a bird feeder in a tree or high-up spot, rats can easily climb up … Read Full Post »

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Do Mice Usually Go Upstairs?

. Posted by in , • Corpus Christi
Stairs inside of a house

Are you hearing the sound of mice scurrying through your walls at night? Mice are excellent climbers, so it’s natural for homeowners to wonder: Do mice usually go upstairs?

While mice can easily climb and jump their way to tall heights, it’s important to understand their habits and why they might be motivated to go to the upper stories of your home. It’s additionally important to know the habits, appearance and diet of brown mice so that you can deal with a house mouse infestation right away.

Finally, this guide will walk you through how to mouse-proof your house. Keep in mind that the best way to deal with mice is to enlist the help of a pest control specialist.

Do Mice Usually Go Upstairs?

Mice are excellent runners, climbers and jumpers, so they can easily go upstairs in a home. In fact, mice can jump as high as one foot, which is nearly … Read Full Post »

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Do Mice Make Noise?

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
a mouse on gravel

Do mice make noise? This is a question pest control professionals get a lot. Mice are relatively small animals, so the noises they make aren’t very loud—but they do make various noises. And, the more mice there are, the easier it becomes to hear them.

If you think you are hearing mice making sounds, it is a possibility that you have a mouse infestation. It’s also possible that you’re hearing something else that isn’t mice. The noise could be from another rodent or other animal, and it should be checked out by a professional without delay. If mice are active in your home or anywhere else on your property, there will probably be other, more obvious signs besides the noises they make.

One of the most common signs of a mouse problem is finding mouse droppings. These are about the size and shape of grains of rice, and are dark brown or … Read Full Post »

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How Many Mice in a Nest?

. Posted by in , • Bryan-College Station
a group of mice in a nest

Has a mouse made its home in your house? One furry little mouse may not seem like a huge problem; however, mice reproduce rapidly. A small colony can quickly turn into dozens of mice in your home in a matter of weeks. 

Mice carry diseases, cause property damage and can invade your kitchen. To safeguard your home against a mouse infestation, it’s important to know about their life cycles and habits. Keep reading to learn how many mice live in a nest, what food attracts mice and how to keep mice away.

If you spot a mouse in your home or hear them at night, contact a rodent control specialist right away. Catching these unwelcome guests early is the best way to prevent them from taking over your home. 

How Many Mice in a Nest?

Up to two dozen mice can live in a nest at a time. Mice have prolific breeding habits, which … Read Full Post »

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Are Mice Nocturnal?

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
a mouse in a house

If you’ve noticed signs of mice, but have never actually seen a rodent, you may wonder how bad your problem really is. Or, you may start wondering, ”Are mice nocturnal?” The answer is yes—mice are nocturnal. This means they are most active at night, under the cover of darkness.

Why are mice nocturnal? Keep in mind that they are tiny, timid creatures. It benefits them to do most of their running around at night, searching for food and water. Nighttime is when they are least likely to run into predators.

The fact that mice stay hidden during daylight hours is one of the reasons an infestation can be so hard to find and control. Many times, mice build nests that homeowners never even know are there—that is, until the mice start causing too many problems to miss.

Signs of an Infestation

The unfortunate truth is that you can have a full-blown mouse infestation and … Read Full Post »

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House Mouse: Identification & Control Tips

. Posted by in , • Austin
a mouse in a house

A house mouse may look cute and fluffy, but an infestation in your home is not something to take lightly. House mice carry dangerous diseases that can harm humans and pets. They can also cause severe property damage both indoors and outdoors.

It’s important to know how to identify a house mouse from other mice species so that you can deal with the problem correctly. This guide will break down their appearance and how they differ from other types of mice species.

Additionally, let’s discuss how to control a house mouse problem and prevent the annoyance from returning. Since house mice can cause outdoor property damage and destroy your gardens, this guide will also go over how to keep them out of your beds.

Finally, you’ll learn about an interesting method that mice use when they feel threatened: playing dead.

As a homeowner, learning about the behavioral patterns, appearance, and dangers of the house … Read Full Post »

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What Are the Signs of a Rat Infestation?

. Posted by in , • Tyler
a rat in a garden

A potential rat infestation is an unpleasant reality of being a homeowner. However, when you know the signs of rats, you can catch an infestation in its early stages.

For example, it’s important to know what rat droppings look like and how they differ from the droppings of other rodents. You should also know about their nests and the materials they use to form them. Understanding their habits and hiding spots will also help you identify the source of your rat infestation.

Next, it’s important to know about the diet of a rat so that you can take measures to keep them out of your kitchen and lawn. Additionally, there are simple ways to make your home inhospitable to rats that all homeowners should remember.

Finally, it’s valuable to know about the sleeping patterns of rats. Rats are hard to catch because they are active at night. This guide will tell you everything … Read Full Post »

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Do Mice Carry Rabies?

. Posted by in , • San Antonio
a mouse

When you have a mouse infestation, it needs to be dealt with as efficiently as possible. Mice are incredibly fast breeders, so an infestation that’s not eliminated quickly is likely to grow out of control. These rodents can cause property damage and they contaminate anything they touch. This is partly because they carry bacteria and diseases that can make people sick. But, do mice carry rabies?

Mice are rarely infected with rabies, and they have not been known to transmit rabies to humans. Still, they pose a danger to people’s health in several ways. While they don’t carry rabies, they carry other harmful bacteria and diseases. These include salmonella, hantavirus, leptospirosis, typhus and plague.

When rodents crawl on your kitchen counters or chew through cereal boxes in your pantry, they are contaminating your food along with the surfaces in your home. Additionally, the pathogens in mouse urine and droppings have the potential … Read Full Post »

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What Attracts Rats?

. Posted by in , • Houston
a rat in a garden

Knowing what attracts rats is a big part of keeping them away from your home and property. Rats are wild animals that naturally live outdoors, building nests under shrubbery, inside dead trees or in underground burrows. Like all animals, rats have three basic needs—food, water and shelter. When you’re dealing with a rat infestation on your property, it means they have found all three. This is why a big part of getting rid of rats is eliminating what’s attracting them.

If you’re dealing with a problem, you may notice some of the following signs of rats:

  • Scattered rat droppings
  • Shredded paper, insulation or other nesting materials
  • Squeaking or scratching sounds coming from within the walls or ceilings
  • Gnaw marks on cabinets, baseboards or other areas
  • Greasy rub marks along walls, baseboards or rafters, where these pests commonly walk along their routes between their nest and their food and water sources
  • An actual rat sighting—though this is less … Read Full Post »

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I Found Mouse Droppings But No Mouse

. Posted by in , • Dallas-Fort Worth
mouse droppings on floor

You might not have spotted a mouse in your house, but that doesn’t mean they haven’t moved in. There are several other signs that you have a rodent problem that needs immediate attention.

Sudden Appearance of Pellets

A sure sign is droppings around food, in drawers or cupboards (especially in the kitchen) and under a sink. Not everyone is quite sure what they are seeing when they spy droppings in their home, so it’s important to know what mouse droppings look like. What you are looking for are smallish dark pellets, about one-eighth to one-quarter of an inch long, with pointed ends.

It can be easy to want to believe it’s just food particles or something else, but the reality is you have unwanted guests if you are seeing these droppings. You can get a flashlight and take a peek behind cabinets and under sinks and appliances to see if … Read Full Post »

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