RODENTS

The following is an overview of the potential losses that could be caused by rodents through disease, contamination and damage.

Food lost to rodents is equivalent to food for 200 million people
Rodents consume 20% of world’s food supply
They are responsible for millions of dollars of damage to computer systems and other electronic equipment
Annually, $120 million is spent on rodent control programs or devices
Annually, 100,000 individuals are bitten by rodents
For fires listed as “cause unknown,” 25% of them are attributed to rats or squirrels
Rats were responsible for shutting down the Sacramento area’s Internet
Rats have also shut down an airliner, costing the company $100K per day, and totaling almost $1M before the problem was solved

Gray Squirrel (Sciurus Carolinensis)

Squirrels can store food in attic areas, helping mice and other insect pests such as carpet beetles survive

House Mouse (Mus Musculus)

Contrary to some beliefs, mice do not grow up to become rats
Mice can fit through holes only 1/4 inch in diameter, usually without chewing
Most houses that do not use professional pest control programs have mice living in the attic, feeding on seeds and drinking water found in gutters
Mice can live in attics without ever coming down for food and water, only doing so in cases of over-population
Black rat snakes will commonly also live in attics in order to prey on mice
When homeowners find mouse activity in the common living areas of their homes, they should assume that a larger problem may be present in the attic and other inaccessible areas of their homes
Mice usually produce six babies per litter, birthing seven litters per year each capable of living up to three years, meaning potentially 126 more mice within three years
They are excellent climbers that can ascend a brick wall without breaking stride, can jump up to 15 inches up, and survive falls of more than 8 feet without injury

Sewer Rat or Norway Rat (Rattus Norvegicus)

These rats can produce up to six litters a year with an average of seven babies per litter, meaning an average of 42 young each year
They can live up to five years, and become sexually mature at only four months
For a breeding female, she can produce up to 194 babies throughout her life span
In many cases, rats have moved out of depressed areas and into older suburb areas to enjoy the better quality of food being expelled into sanitary sewers through garbage disposals
The practice of feeding dogs, cats and birds outside will definitely attract rats
Rats can fit through holes the size of a half-dollar coin, but will chew through an opening if it is not big enough
Rats can chew through lead, aluminum, bone, cinderblock and concrete as well as plastic garbage cans
They are known to spread diseases such as bubonic plague, which is still active in the southwestern united states
They are excellent climbers, often spotted in trees and along telephone lines, and are capable of a 4- to 5-foot standing jump
Rats are also excellent swimmers that can swim as far as 150 feet through a water line, emerging in toilets or floor drains (which is why an unused basement toilet should be blocked or removed)
Their natural enemies include large dogs, owls and hawks, but are ferocious enough to back down even large predators such as tigers

Deer Mouse or White-Footed Mouse (Peromyuscus)

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