The movies like to portray rodents as cute but mischievous house guests who want to cause a little ruckus and steal cheese. Unfortunately, they are much more than a minor nuisance in real life. While domesticated rodents make for hygienic and social pets, wild rodents are dirty, dangerous, and one of Tennessee's most destructive mammalian pests. Not only do they chew on everything, but they carry more than 35 serious diseases worldwide, such as Hantavirus, Leptospirosis, Tularemia, Rat-Bite Fever, Salmonellosis, LCM, and the Plague. Such ailments are transmitted directly through their feces, urine, and saliva or indirectly by bites from ticks, mites, and fleas that fed on infected subjects. With their high metabolisms, rodents quickly process food and drop copious amounts of waste, contaminating surfaces and water supplies and endangering human inhabitants.
Rats
As effective scavengers, rats utilize their keen sense of taste and excellent memory. Though considered omnivores, many species of rats prefer meat. These voracious eaters cannot go more than four days without food and will forage for food over 300 yards away from their nests. They are known for chewing on almost anything they can get their teeth on to keep their incisors, which grow a few inches per year, from pushing through their skulls. Approximately 20 percent of agricultural products are destroyed by them each year.
One of the most common Tennessee species are Norway Rats, otherwise known as the Common Brown Rat, and Roof or House Rats. They may only live for about two to three years, and females can mate around 500 times within six hours. Brown Rats can even produce up to 2,000 offspring in a year.
Mice
Mice are often used as test subjects for modern medicine because their minds and bodies work similarly to humans. They like to nest in the dark, quiet places, such as basements, attics, rafters, cabinets, closets, and in between walls. They can even squeeze through holes smaller than the size of a dime. However, outside of the lab, they spread germs and carry as many as 200 pathogens.
As omnivores, they prefer food that is high in fat, protein, and sugar but will devour just about anything. When hungry enough, they will even eat each other. They are frequent eaters, consuming food 15-20 times a day. Consequently, they tend to build their homes close to food sources. Unlike rats, they construct complex burrows that have long entrances, numerous escape routes, and even separate rooms for sleeping, storing food, and going to the bathroom. The most common types in Tennessee are Deer and House Mice. Smaller than their cousins, they have pointed noses, a furry round body, large ears, and a tail that is often hairless. They are agile creatures, so do not be surprised if you see them climbing, jumping, or swimming.
Signs You Might Have A Rodent Problem
Typical indicators of a rodent infestation include holes in food packaging or clothing; ripped paper, cardboard, or other fibrous material; and grease marks on walls, window panes, doors, and other surfaces. Perhaps the most significant red flags are tiny tracks and droppings or urine trails. Since rodents are potential disease carriers with an aggressive nature, you should contact a professional to deal with them appropriately. In the United States, about 14,000 people are directly attacked by rats annually. Furthermore, a small-scale rodent problem can quickly become a catastrophic invasion due to their avid breeding habits. At Defender Pest Control, we can safely remove rats or mice from your home so that your exposure to rodents is limited to what you see in movies.