•           They reproduce rapidly with major activity at night. Rats tend to be cautious and mice are more curious.

•           Rats tend to eat most of their food at one time, where mice will nibble a little at a time.

•           It is important to remove their food sources, but do not disturb the rodent habitat.

•           You will want a complete elimination to occur before they could move to another area.

•           A successful rodent control program includes a combination of baiting and trapping for the highest rate of success.

•           You may also want to consider integrating your program, with exclusion techniques and a general cleanup, removal of their hiding places (harbor aging areas.)

•           Their are different types of baits to choose from: blocks, pellets, seeds; each rodent population is different in their preferences, so a little of each is a good choice in bait selections.

•          When baiting initially, try not to disturb their original habitats or they may run to another area. After baiting has begun, continue with sanitation procedures, food source removal, and harborage removal to ensure additional rodents from nearby areas are not attracted to your location.

•           They also cause damage to our buildings by their burrowing and gnawing activity.

•           The word rodent means "to gnaw". Rodents will gnaw through many types of materials in order to reach a location including lead sheathing, cinder block, aluminum siding and some concrete.

•           They are able to squeeze through very small openings: 1/4 inch for mice and 1/2 inch for rats.

Rodents' instincts make them difficult to control, and they present a serious menace to your home. Here's what you should know about these pests:

Rats

•           Difficult to control: Rats are instinctively wary of traps and bait, and colonize in attics, burrows, under concrete and porches, in wall voids and other hard to reach places.

•           Disease: Rats can harbor and transmit a number of serious diseases. They can also introduce disease-carrying parasites such as fleas, lice and ticks into your home.

Mice

•           Access: They invade your home seeking food, water and warmth. One pair of mice can produce 200 offspring in four months.

•           Contamination: Each mouse can contaminate ten times more food than it eats.