What Did I Just See? Brown Rat or House Mouse
Did you just see something scampering across the floor? Do you know if it was a brown rat or a house mouse?
The first sight of seeing a small rodent scurrying across the skirting boars can be quite disturbing and most definitely a shock. House mice and brown rats are different species but they are related to each other. If you have seen one of these it can be quite difficult to know which one is actually in your house, especially as young rats and mice can be a very similar size.
Trying to decide what rodent has taken up residence in your property is hard. So below we have put together a table for you that have all the differences that you need to know, to be able to distinguish which rodent is in your home or property.
Below are the differences:
|
Brown Rats |
House Mouse |
|
Ears are smaller |
Ears are large and floppy |
|
20-40cm in length |
5-10cm in length |
|
Snout is short and stubby |
Triangular snouts |
|
Average length whiskers |
Long whiskers |
|
Stocky head |
Small heads |
|
Bigger feet |
Small feet |
|
Tail is long, hairy and scaly |
Thin and hairy tails |
|
Eat 30 grams of food per day |
Eats only 3 grams of food a day |
|
Rats need to constantly drink, with this being 60mm a day |
Can survive with little water but drink up to 3mm a day |
|
They are either grey, brown or black |
Only brown and grey |
|
Weighs around 250-350 grams |
Weighs 12-20 grams |
|
Produces around 20-40 droppings a night |
Produces around 50-80 droppings a night |
|
Droppings are concentrated in specific areas |
Droppings are scattered all over the place |
|
Very cautious and avoid anything new in their path |
Not as cautious and will investigate new things |
If you’ve seen signs of mice or rats or the result of their activity, action is needed to get rid of rats and mice to ensure your problem is quickly and effectively treated.
Call Conquest Pest Control immediately.