So rats got inside your house and chewed pipes, wires or damaged walls. Here’s the plan you likely have to get rid of them: 1. Drive to the hardware store and buy a rat trap. 2. Put cheese on the trap 3. Set the trap in your kitchen. Take it from a very experienced professional, that is a TERRIBLE PLAN! Actually every part of that plan is a bad idea. Let’s see how to catch rats with a better plan.Rat Chewed Pipe
#1 Best Plan To Catch Rats
Here are three tips our pro technicians use to catch rats in homes, businesses, and warehouses.
Don’t buy a cheap rat trap at a hardware store.
The only rodent ever caught with cheese was in a cartoon.
Setting a rat trap where kids and pets can find it is an insanely bad idea.
Choose The Right Rat Trap
Why not buy a rat trap at the hardware store? Two good reasons!
First, you don’t need a rat trap. What you really need if you actually want more than needle-in-a-haystack odds of catching that rat is 10 rat traps MINIMUM. We usually set at least 24 traps for all our professional trapping jobs. If you only have one trap set, you have about 1/100 chances of making a catch. Set out 10 traps and your odds of success increase exponentially.
The second reason not to buy rat traps at the hardware store is that the traps sold at most hardware stores are cheap homeowner grade equipment. They range from completely ineffective traps where you’d have better luck at winning the lottery than catching a rat, to cool gadgets designed to pique your curiosity (not the curiosity or an actual rodent).
Moving up from hardware store options to the PRO-grade traps with expanded trigger plates, sensitivity settings and rust-resistant hardware that doesn’t blow up in a hot attic will cost you like $2 more a trap. Would you seriously drive a Ford Taurus if a BMW only costs $2 more?!? There is literally a huge quality difference in the effectiveness of PRO grade rat traps, so don’t waste your time on the relatively “cheap” hardware store options.
Cheese Doesn’t Work
After all those episodes of Tom and Jerry who would dare dispute the effectiveness of using cheese to lure a wiley rat into a rat trap. Only anyone who has actually ever tried to trap a rat I suspect. Most people just assume cheddar is the fix-all but let’s explore some better options.
In our search for how to catch rats and the best rat lure, we have tried cheese, bread, candy, chocolate, peanut butter, apples, bananas, cat food and about everything else you can think of. Let’s be truthful, a hungry lil bugger just might react to any of these items–but it’s a long shot. Our techs put their heads together and we did massive testing with all sorts of goodies mixed together. We used a trail camera to verify the results and in the end, we invented a crazy rat catch’n blend for rodents. We called it Rodent Magnet Trap Bait and it’s what our techs use almost exclusively now.
All it takes is a pea-sized portion placed on the trap and rats are going to literally go nuts to get at this stuff. Don’t waste your time with cheese. Believe us the pros don’t try to catch rats using cheese.
Use Caution When Setting Rat Traps Around Kids & Pets
While a mousetrap might cause a temporary sting, a rat trap can inflict permanent damage to children and pets. We suggest only setting rat traps in enclosed areas (like attics or crawl spaces), up high (like on top of kitchen cabinets or electric water heaters) or inside protective boxes like the one pictured below.
If you don’t have access to tamper-resistant bait stations like the one pictured, you can even use a heavy cardboard box with a small hole cut in the side and a heavy item on top to hold it in place. Ultimately, you know your children and pets and if you think they might be clever enough to access traps, don’t take chances.
How To Catch Rats Summary
The right traps and bait really matter. Trying to save a few bucks on equipment can lead to lots of frustrations as rats run loose in your house destroying everything they touch. Most importantly, don’t take chances with the safety of your pets and children when setting rat traps.
If you get stuck on how to catch rats or just want to see how much we’d charge to take care of the lil’ buggers just call or text us.
If you live in Oregon and haven’t either had rats in your home or heard about a close neighbor with rats, consider yourself lucky. In the winter months particularly, the number of rodent calls we receive skyrockets. Due to rat populations expanding, new neighborhoods become hotbeds for rodent activity fairly quickly. Rodents don’t need to overrun a neighborhood in order to spread into the next; the naturally transient nature of rats, for instance, cause them to spread constantly, and they can travel heavily when inclement weather or various needs compel them. Realize, however that even lottery winners don’t stay lucky forever, and it’s just a matter of time until rats find your home. Not if… but when they do, are you prepared? We’d like to help you get prepared, and have some easy rat control steps that you can implement. If you have any questions, feel free to call us at 541-636-0146 for additional information. We are here to help! Now, on with the steps.
Rat Control Steps
Used by our professionals to exterminate rats before they begin their mayhem, these steps can help keep your home from experiencing the problems rats inevitably bring with them. Rats are fond of chewing electrical wires, damaging water pipes, tainting food and water supplies, causing anxiety in your pets, making holes in heating ducts, and more.
Rat Extermination Inspection
Rats have somewhat poor vision, and their exploration of areas is dominated by their incredible sense of smell. They are also extremely talented with mapping areas, and will often create well-traveled paths and routes to the resources they require, memorizing them and even teaching them to other rats. This is why homeowners might set the right trap, with the right bait, and yet still can’t seem to catch a rat. It is not due to rodent cleverness or luck, but more based on a mis-read of the current active lines and a lack of information about rodent behavior, and how it changes depending on their location and needs. When trap placement is even 5 feet away from the most currently active rodent travel path, and when it has been placed in an area not generally traveled by the rats when they are specifically hungry, the trap often becomes completely useless. If the rat is fed by the time it comes near that trap, it won’t investigate.
This one did.
Look for several key elements that indicate rat presence. Droppings are a big sign, but especially where you find them and how fresh they are. Rats relieve themselves as they travel and eat, and if you find an area with an inordinate amount of droppings, that could be a feeding or nesting area. Lines of travel with intersect this area, and become good spots for trap placement, especially along right-angles, like walls, joists, beams, and piping. Look also for dust-prints. These can help identify which direction the rats are using that line to travel, which gives you a better idea about their foraging behavior and when they’re hungry. Traps placed on a line rats travel BEFORE feeding are far more successful than traps placed on a coming-home-after-eating line. Grease stains, or smudge marks, are a good indication of rat activity, also. When rats climb into a hole, or travel vertically, they often leave behind a smudge that looks somewhat like old grease. It will be a fairly faint but still discernible stain (when you’re looking for them), as rats have oily fur and leave traces of this material behind when they rub against things. The darker and more visible the stain, the more well-traveled that line generally is (or was, before they switched routes).
Multiple paths = multiple rats. Pictured: Your money’s worth.
By conducting a careful inspection to locate fresh rat droppings, smudge marks, print directions and path intersections, as well as chewing damage, ideal trap placement can be established. Keep in mind that rats often move in shadows and darker locations and will often abandon a path in favor of another, leaving little evidence this has happened. Our experts sometimes turn off the lights in a room to see where shadows provide ideal cover for rodent movement. We also offer a detailed inspection completed by our pro rodent certified expert to locate exactly where rat travel paths can be effectively intercepted.
Choose The Right Rat Trap
One of the most common mistakes made by homeowners is setting the wrong types of traps to catch rats. Forget sticky glue board traps, electronic sound devices, small wooden mouse traps, and nearly every other kind of rat control device sold in hardware stores. The fact is that most of them just simply don’t work and can cause serious harm to pets and children. If you do place traps, be prepared to check on them often to empty out any dead rodents that may have been caught, and also to reset those traps for continued use. Diligence here, combined with good traps and proper placement, is key.
Our pros catch rats using professional plastic and wooden traps with expanded trigger plates sensitive enough to even catch a mouse. These types of commercial grade rat traps are generally not available in local box stores but can be purchased directly from Bug Zapper Pest Control by calling 541-636-0146.
More Traps = Better
We have several types, each for a different setup and situation.
Another common mistake made by homeowners that leads to unsuccessful rat trapping efforts is setting too few traps. Generally at least a dozen traps minimum should be set inside a home. Depending on the infestation level and the rat travel patterns found during in the inspection, another 1-2 dozen traps might be placed in the crawl space and a dozen traps or more set in the attic. Heavy trap usage helps ensure that traps with attractive bait intercept movement patterns of all rats within a home. This portion of trapping is a numbers game, but proper placement is still necessary, with the correct bait for the situation.
Get Guaranteed Rat Control
If you are thinking these rat control steps all sounds more complicated than you thought, and you’re not sure what rat smudge marks look like or you don’t feel like repeatedly going under your home to remove dead rats, then we can help.
Our trained rat experts offer a PRO inspection to help you decide and explain the options. We’ll discuss exactly what we find and give you a price for 100% GUARANTEED rat removal that even includes a 3 month warranty. You can relax knowing the rat problem is handled and you are free to do something more important. If you don’t want to tackle the problem yourself, we can handle that for you. It’s what we do! There is a reason every rat in Oregon fears us!
‘Zappiest’ IS a word. We’re not giving it up.
Once you have completed all these rat control steps and all the rats are gone, rodent proofing is the next step. The detailed process of entry point elimination prevents rats and mice from ever getting inside your home again. Learn more about rodent proofing at bugzapperpestcontrol.com
In this third and final part to our series on rodents in the Pacific Northwest, we’ll focus on the outliers, or, those rodents not as commonly encountered in or near our homes. Specifically, we’ll be taking a look at the voles, nutria, and porcupines. Most people will not have domestic run-ins with these critters (though voles can be common in property surrounded by woods or broad fields), but they can still pose a problem and be difficult to handle. Let’s learn a little about these interesting rodents and what makes them tick. There are links within the article that will lead you to places in which you can learn more specifically about trapping, baiting, and exclusion methods for dealing with any of these rodents as problem pests, but for our purposes, we’ll focus more on what they do and what it means to you and your home. Being northwest rodents, gophers could also be included on this list. To that effect, we have an informative article covering gophers here.
Disclaimer: Bug Zapper Pest Control does NOT currently handle problems with nutria, voles, or porcupines. This article is designed to give you some information on these rodents, as well as some advice on how to tackle the problem.
Northwest Rodents in Your Garden: Voles (genus Microtus)
“I want to make something that looks like a jelly bean with hair on it.” -Nature
Voles are small, semifossorial (subsisting both below and above ground) rodents that somewhat resemble rats and mice. They are sometimes called Meadow Mice or Field Mice, though are more closely related to muskrats or lemmings than mice. Voles can range in color, though are typically small (a little larger than mice), and have short, mole-like limbs with a stubby tail. They often dig extensive tunnels in yards and especially gardens, through which they travel in search of various foods. When it comes to northwest rodents, voles are the jack-of-all-trades, and can adapt to varying conditions with ease. A common behavior of voles is to dig a series of scavenging tunnels and then travel between them above-ground. If you’ve got a variety of holes in your yard and garden, without the presence of a mound or hill above each hole, you’ve likely got a vole problem. While there are nearly two dozen different types of voles in North America, our customers are most likely to encounter the Oregon Vole (aptly named Microtus oregoni).
“My interests include digging, mating, thinking about digging or mating, and your garden.”
The Oregon Vole is around 5.5 to 6.5 inches long with a bicolored tail that can contain any number of color combinations. Oregon Voles are particolored with the most common coloring a greyish yellow to brownish yellow. They usually have a darker underbelly that will often have areas of yellow or white in it. They do not hibernate, and can be found scavenging any time of the night or day. They tend to propagate in small groups, but have been known to create very large, complex habitats with big populations, too. Generally, they stick to about a fourth of an acre and don’t range much beyond that. They do not typically live long, and have an average lifespan of a little over a year, provided nothing interferes with their activities. They can procreate any time of the year, though prefer Spring and Summer, and are able to breed on average 5 or so times in a year, having between 3-8 young in each litter. Pregnancy lasts about 3 weeks, and the young mature in another 3 weeks. The speed at which they can procreate can greatly boost their numbers when food is plentiful and they are not hindered by location, predators, and weather. They prefer grassy and brushy areas and are far more common in the forested regions of the Pacific Northwest. They also like to infest clear-cut areas, somewhat like open fields. While they prefer plant matter, and will make a buffet of your garden, they also enjoy eating insects and snails, and have even been known to eat dead animals and roadkill.
Pictured: Rodent Applebee’s
Pest control for voles requires a daily regimen of trapping, or several other methods of control that necessitate frequent attention. There are many ways to control a vole infestation. Trapping can work well on small populations (but not large), baits and/or toxicants can be used, including repellants, and there are ways to protect your young trees and certain plants using exclusion methods. For a good outline of these methods, check out the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, and their information on vole management.
Northwest Rodents in Your Creek: Nutria (Myocastor coypus)
A nuclear nutria family.
Nutria (or coypu) were not originally northwest rodents, but have done quite well in our more watery ecosystems. Originally South American in origin, nutria were introduced to Oregon in the 1930’s, and as such, are relatively new to the area. Their numbers and prevalence will likely grow over time. They are larger rodents (closer in size to beavers than rats, mice, or gophers) and they can be found usually in areas with rivers and streams, as nutria are semi-aquatic. They are excellent swimmers and are often mistaken for beavers (which are also rodents), due to their body construction, habitat, and size. One key difference visible from a distance is the tail of a nutria. Nutria have bodies that are somewhat beaver-like, but tails that are wiry and long, being much more rat-like. They nest in banks brushy areas, and always near a habitable water-source. While they can adapt to a great many habitats, they definitely prefer, and do better in, freshwater wetlands and marshes.
Nutria are dark-colored and average about 2 feet long. They have bright orange incisors near the front of their mouths, and long whiskers. Cornering a nutria is a bad idea, as they can be quite violent and will bite and claw to get away, usually back to water. Once in, they can remain submerged completely for up to 10 minutes at a time. They are most active at dusk, though will often sunbathe and swim in the late afternoon or early evening.
A nutria in the marsh, probably plotting the overthrow of human civilization.
They can damage habitats because of their taste for plants that typically hold soil together, causing stream-banks to crumble and erode faster. The burrowing they do within these banks certainly doesn’t help matters. Nutria often carry parasites that can spread to other animals quickly, and can also carry a number of pathogens that make them dangerous to people and other animals. Oregon state law allows for a variety of trapping/baiting/control methods. For a time, they were considered a food source and there are many nutria recipes online, though the fad has certainly diminished greatly since the 60’s, when it was more popular.
There are several ways to deal with nutria. Oregon law allows for them to be shot if outside city limits, and live-traps can be purchased. For protecting your trees, brush, and property from nutria, fences and wire mesh can work very well, as nutria cannot climb. If your property contains a stream or river, however, they may still be able to burrow into your yard if you don’t exclude them correctly. Here’s an official Washington State guide to some of the ways nutria can be managed, if you’re having trouble with them: http://wdfw.wa.gov/living/nutria.html
Northwest Rodents in Your Woods: Porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum)
My name literally means “spiny pig” because the people who name things are rude.
The North American Porcupine, sometimes called a ‘quill pig’ or Canadian porcupine, is common in the pacific northwest, and especially in the coastal woodland regions. They are caviomorphs, being related to capybara, chinchillas, guinea pigs, and another rodent on our list today, nutria. Out of all the North American rodents on our list, porcupines possess the highest intelligence and easily live the longest, at around a decade. They are excellent climbers due to their long claws and nimble bodies, and can be seen at all times of day or night (though are more prevalent at night). The size of a small-to-mid-sized dog, and covered with quills, porcupines can be a startling sight if you’ve never run into one before. They are the second largest rodent in North America (second only to the beaver). They are between 2-3 feet long, with a long, “furry” tail (smaller, densely packed quills). They have tens of thousands of quills on their bodies, each one having microscopic barbs that can help the quill to dig deep into the porcupine’s attackers.
Porcupines run their own piercing studios.
Porcupines are herbivores, preferring to eat bark, harder and more fibrous plant matter, antlers, and also twigs, flowers, and berries. They prefer woodlands, and especially areas near wetlands, though they can also be found (though rarely) in rocky or dry, desert-like habitats. Contrary to popular belief, the porcupine cannot “shoot” its quills out. They will fan out and make the porcupine look much larger when it is threatened, as a defensive characteristic, but they cannot be fired out of its body. The way these spines end up in other animals is due primarily to the other animal rubbing or pushing against them. The quills are strictly defensive. Another popular thought about porcupines is that they are related to hedgehogs. This is due to both animals having a quill-like appearance, but the two are not closely related at all (hedgehogs are omnivores and are far more closely related to moles than porcupines).
“Hedgehogs are pompous, anyway. We make fun of them at all the awesome insectivore parties.”
Another interesting aspect of porcupine life is their patient reproductive cycle. They mate only in the late year, from November to December, will carry their young for 7 months, and give birth to only one new offspring. This reproductive cycle keeps the porcupine from being as prevalent as many of the other rodents we’ve covered. The mating procedure involves a complex dance performed by the male, which culminates into a finale that includes the male urinating on the female’s head.
“Don’t look at me like that. Nothing you do is any better.”
They typically cannot overrun an area by reproducing, especially since they have a variety of predators, like larger birds of prey, coyotes, and even dogs. Due to their solitary nature, even the risk of being run over in the road can be a significant control for their numbers in an area. If you are having a porcupine problem (perhaps injuries to your pets), there are several methods for controlling them near or within your property or yard. A good place to start is with exclusion or trapping. Information on these methods can be found here.
That said, if you’re having trouble with some of the more typical rodents, like rats or mice, we can definitely handle that for you. Bug Zapper Pest Control deals with rodents daily, and our strategy for ridding your home of these pests can speak for itself. Your home is different from the homes that surround it, and every mouse or rat infestation concerns unique details that need to be taken into consideration to stage a successful treatment plan. We’ll customize a mouse removal plan that suits the details of your home and surrounding environment.
When it comes to rodents in the Pacific Northwest, mice are abundant and one of the most prolific breeders you may encounter. We’ve covered rats, and now it’s time to shed a little light on mice. Specifically, lets look at the three species you’re most likely to encounter in our region. If you live in Lane, Linn, Benton, Josephine or Douglas counties, you’ve got northwest mice all around you. The Willamette Valley, in particular, is nationally known as an extremely successful breeding ground for mice and is one of the most prolific hotspots for mouse activity on the west coast.
All it takes is an ample food and water supply to convince mice that your home or commercial structure is the perfect place for them to settle down and live out their version of the American Dream (it’s just like our version, but without college loans or cars).
“That’s not true. I went to Landfill University; Breeding Arts major. Go Housecats!”
About Northwest Mice
The mouse is one of the most prevalent rodents on earth, and mentions of them can be found thousands of years back. Originally located in Asia, they have spread far and wide. With the help of unwitting human commerce and travel, they have managed to span the globe and have easily been as successful as rats in populating every corner of the world. Unlike rats, however, there are far more domestic species with which to contend. For our purposes, we’ll focus on the three most common in our region: house mice, white-footed, and deer mice.
The House Mouse (Mus musculus)
The common house mouse, unlike other kinds, has adapted to live mainly off of us, rather than in the wild. While they are “wild” creatures, their subsistence depends heavily on human dwellings and commercial businesses as food sources. Of important note is that the house mouse is also the basis for lab tsting, though these have been bred for specific traits useful in science (for instance, lab mice are almost exclusively all white). The house mouse is the most common kind of mouse we see in the Pacific Northwest, and as such, we’ll focus much of the article on this particular species.
Some Interesting Facts about House Mice:
They are coprophages (they will eat their own feces). They do this to harvest the nutritive bacteria that grows in it.
They are typically nocturnal, preferring dark environments, and do not like bright light.
Females have 5 nipples while the males have none.
Contrary to popular belief, house mice are not strong vectors for diseases that can be spread to humans. There are a few rare instances, and some not-very-harmful diseases that are also rare, but in general, they aren’t known for spreading human disease much.
Males are usually very territorial, living with several females, though they do often appear to respect the territorial boundaries of one another and fights between males over space are uncommon.
Mice cannot vomit.
Mice and rats are (typically) mortal enemies and rats are able to kill mice quite easily.
They are not well-suited to surviving away from human settlements, especially where competing mice (like wood or deer mice) are found.
Encountering the odor of unfamiliar male mice can actually terminate pregnancies, which is why the males are so fiercely territorial. Even the smell of a single male just passing through can complicate the life of a nesting brood heavily.
“I think those people in white coats are trying to look like us. Is that weird? Maybe that’s weird.”
Features:
An adult house mouse typically ranges from about 3-4 inches in length, not including the tail, which is shorter in colder regions, and thus, longer in warmer regions. Interestingly, the length of tail is not genetic, but rather an aspect of mouse physiology that occurs after birth, depending on the environment. Their tails are extremely versatile and well-suited to mouse survival. The tails serve as balancing tools when navigating various types of terrain, as a brace when standing upright, as a communication tool for other mice, and also as a natural thermostat. Mice help regulate their temperature by speeding or slowing bloodflow to their tails. They generally stand upright, balancing on their tails, when eating, and they will often stand upright when orienting themselves to their surroundings.
Social Life and Behavior
House mice use a social hierarchy when food is abundant (in your house, for instance) and do not stray far from their food source. They imbed and develop a social structure when living off of humans. This is called commensalism. When not subsisting in your home, however, or when wild and still scavenging for unknown foods, their social structure dissipates and they have broad travel spans. They will cover a large range of habitat and are far more aggressive, particularly females. Males, when commensal, will often leave their birthplace to set out and found new territory, while females will typically remain in the origin nest, mating with other mice and, in particular, her offspring. Most mouse infestations are comprised entirely of related mice, though it is possible for outsider mice to enter into the population.
“Hi, I’m answering your Craigslist ad for a roommate? Emphasis on mate?”
Mice, like rats, do not like being far from vertical surfaces. This penchant for preferring close proximity to vertical climbing terrain is called thigmotactism, and it is a common feature of many rodents, including also voles. They sleep a little less than 13 hours a day and are largely omnivorous, though definitely prefer grains and vegetation. A bag of rice, oats, pet food, or even crackers is a big temptation for mice to enter your home and begin nesting. The presence of berries or other wild edibles increases the probability they will nest in an area, and in a pinch, they will eat snails and even spiders. We can attest that in at least one occurrence, house mice were noted to have eaten a variety of stained, scented potpourri, resulting in a collection of droppings nearby that were quite colorful.
“It was Christmas and I wanted to help decorate. You’re welcome.”
Nesting:
House mice do not have a mating season, but are opportunistic. If they’re nesting in a safe place like your home, they will mate whenever they feel like it, year-round. That said, northwest mice not in a safe structure with abundant food will often choose not to breed in the winter. House mice can mate incessantly and are prolific breeders. A pregnant female will give birth in about 3 weeks, averaging about 6-8 young per litter. The typical female can have between 5-10 litters in a single year. That means a male and female mouse, upon entering your home, can have up to anywhere from 15 to 140 young in their first year of occupancy. This does not include the litters that can result from the young reaching maturity (5-8 weeks, with females maturing faster than males) and then also breeding. House mice are largely polygamous, though do occasionally remain monogamous, and can live up to 3 years in a secure location free from predators.
The White-Footed Mouse (Peromyscus leucopus)
Also known as the “wood mouse”, this species typically experiences a shorter lifespan than the common House Mouse. They are far less compatible with human dwellings, as they avoid contact with us as much as they can. These pacific northwest mice prefer the woods, but will occasionally nest in a basement structure or area away from much human presence. Unlike the house mouse, these are known as potential carriers of hantaviruses, which are very dangerous to human beings, and the bacteria known to cause Lyme Disease. They are roughly the same size as house mice, but look a bit ganglier and, by some standards, cuter.
“Way cuter. It’s not even debatable. Look at me.”
Dietary Needs and Behavior
They will eat a variety of foods, including insects and mollusks, but tend to prefer, like other mice, grains and vegetation. They are a rare encounter in homes. They are more difficult to trap than house mice, mainly because they are quite shy and do not like being in the presence of human scents. As such, they are less likely to enter traps, however, on the plus side, the mere presence of traps (or you exploring your home and leaving your scent behind where they may want to nest) can sometimes be enough to make them vacate the premises. The white-footed mouse is very timid.
“I’m staying up here. It reeks of human down there. Bad.”
The North American Deer Mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus)
There are around 5 dozen species of deer mouse, but the ones we’re most focused on in this entry are the North American Deer Mice, which are native to, you guessed it, North America, unlike many other species that are invasive or have been spread by commerce through the ages. Like the white-footed mouse, they are also known for carrying infectious diseases like hantavirus and Lyme disease, and in fact, the two species are closely related and look almost identical. Deer mice do typically have slightly longer tails that are multicolored, and all deer mice have a white underbelly and white feet.
“You want to pet me.”
Needs and Behavior
These northwest mice are equally suited to living underground or in trees, though the most common place for them to nest is in the hollows of trees, far above the ground. Their nests will typically be made from vegetation, unlike house mice, which will make nests of various debris, even synthetic materials found in your home (like mattress stuffing or insulation). Deer Mice are opportunists and will nest with various materials, but by far prefer vegetation, and have a distinctly less mobile social procedure. They are more likely than house mice to nest perpetually and interbreed. Also unlike house mice, deer mice are less aggressive and will live in territories that overlap with the territories of other deer mice. Their interactions with one another in these territories is frequent and usually not confrontational.
Population Building
They can breed year-round, but breeding is dependent on food reserves/supply. They prefer seeds and grains when abundant, but during various seasons will change their diet to include certain insects and even fungus. Of note is that they tend to breed all year in our Willamette Valley region, where they survive in the woods and brush quite well and have an ample water supply. Deer mice prefer open areas and woodlands, and do not create runs the way voles or rats often will. Another distinction is that deer mice mate less frequently than house mice. Pregnant females give birth between 3-4 weeks after conception, having 3-4 young in their litter (though that number can range from 1 to 9), and they’ll do this 4-5 times a year. A successful nest can rear as many as 45 young in a year. Males will typically stick around and raise the litter, unlike house mice. Their willingness to inbreed combined with remaining males, however, makes deer mice a species than can populate an area quite fast, when one considers the reproductive maturation rate of the offspring, at about 7 weeks. Exiting juveniles, seeking to create their own territories, seldom stray beyond about 500 feet from their birthplace.
Suspect You Might have Mice?
Our region is very well suited to mice and if your neighborhood has experienced problems with mice, there’s a good chance it will in the future, as well. If you suspect you have a mouse problem, call in the experts! Bug Zapper Pest Control deals with rodents daily, and our strategy for ridding your home of these pests can speak for itself. Your home is different from the homes that surround it, and every mouse infestation concerns unique details that need to be taken into consideration to stage a successful treatment plan. We’ll customize a mouse removal plan that suits the details of your home and surrounding environment. While there are many kinds of northwest mice, there is always one, great solution: Give us a call and we can rid your home of mice in no time!
Let’s talk about rats in Oregon. Rats in the Pacific Northwest can spread incurable diseases, pilfer our food, and invade our homes, all while doing all of this covertly. They are extremely suited to living off of us, and their success with this is at least as old as written record.
While pet rats can be a joy, undomesticated rats are a danger and can populate an area, like your home, in very little time. Worse, they can spread to and from the homes around you quickly, becoming a big problem for your entire neighborhood.
It is our hope that in providing some information on these pests, we can help you understand how they take advantage of you, which sort of pest you’re dealing with, and what to do about it.
“Carl? Which- which one of us is Carl? Wait, am I Carl?”
A Little Background on Rodents
While a great many pests call the Pacific Northwest their home, most are seasonal and are not active outside of their usual breeding and nesting season. Rodents are not like these and are active year-round.
While they do tend to proliferate in the spring and summer, we are most likely to encounter them in the fall and winter, when the change in weather forces them to seek out shelter and infiltrate our homes. Various rodents have somewhat different dietary needs and look for specific sorts of food, but most are opportunists and will take what they can get.
Rodents, as we know them, have been in the fossil record for about 54 million years, and are now distant cousins to rabbits. The best-known rodent group is the Murids, which have given rise to almost all of our modern pest species, including rats, mice, voles, and even hamsters.
It can be said that rats have benefitted from human civilization even more than dogs and cats. In this series, we’ll be focusing on rodents common to our region, and in this article, we’ll start with the most notorious of them, the rats.
Identifying the Northwest Rats
Rats have a long history of taking advantage of human advancement and have been pests to us for a very long time. The common method of rats following human trade routes and living off human civilizations is called commensalism and is at least several thousand years old. Both Norway rats and Black Rats are commensal and commonly survive by depending on human activity.
In this blog, we’ll go over the Pacific Northwest rats you’re most likely to encounter here, in Oregon.
Norway Rats (Rattus Norvegicus)
Originally from the areas that are now Mongolia and northern China, Norway rats have been a major, invasive pest, and have now made their home all over the world, wherever they’ve managed to stow away with humans. Norway rats go by a variety of names, and you may know them by any of the following names:
Wharf Rat
Norwegian Rat
Brown Rat
Street Rat
Common Rat
Sewer Rat
“Your human tongues are neat. This is sarcasm.”
Distinct Features
A Norway rat is typically gray or brown, with a pale underbelly, sporting a rounded snout, coupled with petite ears that sit closely together. Its tail, distinctively thicker at its base, has a scaly texture, and is somewhat bare.
This tail is typically shorter than the rat’s body and exhibits shades of pink or tan. Furthermore, the Norway rat often displays a robust, coarse fur coat, setting it apart from other rodent species.
Diet and Hydration
This gray or brown rat will eat just about anything edible, but like us, prefers a balanced diet. Norway rats will eat various grains, meat, fruits, nuts, and snails.
They have a rather large need for water, needing around an ounce of water each day. If they can find moist foods, this water need can lessen. The perfect place to find much of what they need, while balancing their nutrition needs, is in human garbage, hence why they do so well in our shadow and will likely follow it forever.
We inadvertently create a great rat hotel and amazing rat buffet wherever we go. It’s the perfect setup for them.
“I’ve seen you mating. D-“
Habits and Behavior
Norway rats are primarily nocturnal, but they do venture out during the day, especially if they’re traveling in a dark place, like the walls, crawlspaces, or attic of your home. These Northwest rats tend to travel daily, from their food source, within an area between 100 and 150 feet in diameter.
That’s usually well within the confines of your home, and they don’t travel far from their food. These gray or brown rats are colorblind and have poor vision, relying heavily on their keen sense of smell and extremely accurate sense of taste.
They can reportedly detect changes in taste at .5 parts per million, which is incredible. In comparison, human beings can only detect 10 parts per million, which means we don’t even place in the Taste Olympics as far as rats are concerned.
Life and Reproduction
After conception, Norway rats give birth in a little over three weeks and can conceive again the very next day, if they’re so inclined. They have 6-12 young at a time. That’s fast and worse, the offspring themselves can already reproduce three months later. Now you’re starting to see how these little brown rats can dominate an area pretty quickly and easily.
Black Rats (Rattus Rattus)
Admittedly, there’s only a slim chance you’ll ever encounter a black rat in Oregon, but they do exist. The black rat has been found in Portland, Salem, and smaller coastal cities where there is human habitation. They go by various names:
House Rat
English Rat
Ship Rat
Roof Rat
Like Norway rats, black rats have now spanned the globe. Though they made their way into Europe long before Norway rats, they have been displaced as the dominant rat in those regions by the Norway rat, which has proven very successful at invading new regions and taking over.
The black rat or rattus rattus (real creative, scientists) also reached North America a couple of hundred years earlier than Norway rats, but again, have been displaced by the latter. They survive especially well in tropical regions, but in North America, now have only small numbers.
“We could have been friends, America.”
Distinct Characteristics
Black rats have longer tails than Norway rats and are not simply black. Some can be light brown, and even reddish. They are typically smaller on average than Norway rats. Their sense of hearing is highly refined and sensitive, and they are easily alerted to the sounds of humans.
Diet and Hydration
Like Norway rats, black rats will eat just about anything they find that is edible, but are far less concerned with bulk feeding. When possible, they will sample many foods present, and eat small amounts of each, rather than eating one thing until full.
They have a particular preference for fruits and nuts, and require about half as much water as Norway rats, at around half an ounce a day. They are also more likely to forage in groups.
“Yeah, sorry about that. We didn’t like the fleas, either.”
Habits and Behavior
Black rats are arboreal, which means that they favor trees and originally weren’t so suited to human homes. However, homes have roofs, and black rats like those heights (we call them roof rats for a reason). They’ve been known to travel over power lines to get into homes, though they will burrow underground if the conditions require it. As should be obvious, they are extremely good climbers.
The Bubonic Plague
These Northwest rats can also carry a variety of diseases, some of which are incurable in humans. Black rats are known to carry a number of pathogens, of which the bubonic plague, typhus, Weil’s disease, toxoplasmosis, and trichinosis are the best known. They can transmit disease by droppings and urine, bites, and the fleas and mites in their fur.
The most infamous of these diseases, the Black Plague or Black Death, was actually spread by Oriental rat fleas, which lived on the rats. The heavy rat population and poor sanitation practices in the Middle Ages exponentially increased the chances of contagion.
Black Death outbreaks occurred many times in European history, but the most notorious outbreak happened over an eight-year period in the 14th century and killed up to an estimated 200 million people.
Life and Reproduction
Black rats can mate year-round and typically average around eight young per litter, which is more than Norway rats, although Black rats tend to mate less frequently. Their young also take a bit longer to become reproductive than those of Norway rats, which gives the latter an edge in dominating an area.
Black rats proliferate in warmer climates but don’t handle cold very well, which is another reason Norway rats have often been able to run them out of town.
Packrats (many species, but particularly Neotoma Cinerea)
Also known as the bushy-tailed woodrat (for their squirrel-like tails), the packrat has many distinguishable traits and features, but the most well-known is their penchant for building complex nests out of things they find.
Distinct Characteristics
Packrats have large ears and somewhat long, flat tails. Males are much bigger than females, and they are excellent climbers and jumpers. Unlike Norway rats and black rats, packrats are perfectly at home in colder environments, and they live quite well even in Northernmost Canada. They are also found in hot climates, such as the desert region of Arizona, though prefer the upper mountain regions, which are typically colder.
Like other rats, they do not hibernate and will forage and eat year-round, though they do try to store up food reserves so they can remain in their nest during the colder months.
“I took your keys last night.”
Diet and Hydration
They are herbivores, but will occasionally eat insects and other kinds of meat, favoring leaves and stalks of plants. They will also eat fruits, fungus, and seeds. Of interest is that packrats do not need a source of open water, as their hydration needs are met through their solid food diets.
They have sharp claws and can chew through very dense material. It is not uncommon to find they have chewed straight through your wall to get into your kitchen. We’ve seen one chew a large hole through a dense city garbage can, tunnel through trash bags and the trash within, and then gnaw their way out the other side, all in a single night.
Habits and Behavior
Unlike other rats, which will generally build a small nest of typical materials like wood, paper, and general debris, packrats favor shiny objects and are highly curious. They take things from our homes and use them to build complex, large nests, which are sealed by a secretion the packrat makes called “amberat”.
This substance preserves the nests, and anything in them, for extremely long periods of time. Think centuries. Plant matter from hundreds of years ago can be preserved in packrat nests, which makes them both fascinating thieves and nature’s museum curators. Packrats even have favorite items that they somewhat bond with, objects they will protect and with which they will travel.
As these items are not crucial to their survival or needed much, packrats can be said to be materialists, really, and would almost seem to have a rudimentary sense of ownership. This bushy-tailed woodrat will even drop off needed foods in order to then pick up and steal off with something fascinating, like a belt buckle or a key.
Packrats are also fiercely territorial and very aggressive to other rodents, and when necessary, fight often, even with their own mates. Males abandon bred females when their litter is quite young, owing to their territorial nature.
“It’s not my fault you keep throwing away awesome things. That’s on you.”
Life and Reproduction
Packrats do not breed year-round, unlike Norway rats or black rats. They breed in the spring and summer and can conceive a mere 12 hours after giving birth. It is not uncommon for a female to be nursing her young while also pregnant with her next litter.
Despite this, they take about five weeks to give birth, which is substantially longer than the other rats. In addition, these northwest rats usually only have around three young per litter, and reproduce between 1-2 times a year. The young are not able to reproduce until about a year old.
Due to these factors, packrats are very slow to multiply and populate when compared to the other rats in this list. It is no surprise that we encounter enclaves of packrats far less often than other rat species. They are also solitary and do not like the presence of other Packrats.
Having Rat Trouble?
Rats are everywhere, even in the lovely state of Oregon. If your neighborhood has experienced rodent problems in the past, it’s highly likely you might have a run-in with them in or around your own home.
If you suspect you have a rat problem, call in the experts. Bug Zapper Pest Control deals with rats daily, and our strategy for eliminating these pests from homes and residences has proven itself time and again.
Each home is different, and every infestation concerns unique details that need to be taken into consideration to stage a successful treatment plan.
Give us a call and we’ll have you rat-free in no time!
Sometimes people ask us if there is such a thing as rat or mouse repellent? Those asking the question may be looking for a magical spray that will quickly eliminate a rodent infestation. While such a product is not likely, here are some guaranteed tips to drive rodents away from your home. The best rodent repellent is the removal of what rodents need or want from your home.
For Rodent Repellent Eliminate Conducive Conditions
Rats and mice live and thrive based on food supply and secluded, warm places for them to hide. Clamping down on the food supply and eliminating protected hiding places can push rodents away from Lane County homes.
Start with a walk around your home looking for the following conducive conditions:
Trim back trees, bushes and ground covers that touch the roof, siding or foundation. (Rodents like to hide so they don’t get eaten by predators. They just don’t feel comfortable hanging around foundations far from cover.)
Clean up “stuff”. Storing stuff against your home or around the foundation can lead to rodent troubles.
Poorly fitting trash can lids invite rodent feeding.
Stacked wood next to a home provides a great place for rodents to live.
Gaps where plumbing penetrations enter the siding welcome rodents inside.
Bird feeders provide a steady supply of food for rodents. (See brown marks on rafters left by rats feeding at bird feeder in photo at right.)
Pet food and water dishes left out overnight can attract rats from the entire neighborhood.
Plant gardens and locate compost piles away from your home.
Get A Detailed Rodent Inspection Now
Watch out for products claiming to be rodent repellents. Instead, let our rodent prevention expert point out conducive conditions around your home that might be attracting rodents. Protect your home and family from mice and rats. Contact us here or call 541-636-0146 to eliminate mice and rats now…
Bug Zapper’s GUARANTEED Rodent Elimination System
Bug Zapper Pest Control is exactly what you would want from an exterminator. Prompt honest service with results that speak for them self. ——Chainsaw
I called several places and Bug Zapper was the only one who returned my call in a reasonable amount of time (i.e., same day). He came over to walk through our house and give us an estimate. He was fantastic with our son and dog, and was thorough with his explanation about the products he uses and his methods. Katrina
Clearly we all love the colorful Oregon leaves and golden sunlight of Autumn. However this time of year I always dread the approaching cold weather accompanied by the flu and sick days. All to often these flue like symptoms are actually due to rodents entering homes.
In fact, it isn’t just a coincidence that the most likely time of year for sickness to hit a family is also the most likely time for rats and mice to find their way indoors. Learn how to rodent-proof your home to better protect against these problems and more.
As mice and rats enter homes seeking food and warmth they spread trouble from the day they enter. Once indoors, rodents leave fecal matter, contaminated fur and droplets of urine wherever they go. Imagine what happens when these nasty substances are deposited within a kitchen or inside heat ducting. Before long the filth and disease reaches the unsuspecting family and health declines.
The Options for Rodents
While trapping and baiting strategies can remove rodent infestations, they do NOT eliminate the contamination or potential for disease transmission. At best they provide a band-aid solution with frequently repeated need for rodent control efforts.
Structural rodent proofing has been proven to be the BEST and most permanent way to successfully eliminate rodent access and prevent interior rodent contamination.
What Is Rodent Proofing, and How Do We Rodent Proof Your Home?
Rodent proofing your home begins with a detailed FREE inspection under, around, and above your home. A detailed study is made to identify conditions conducive to rodent infestation. Bug Zapper Pest Control’s rodent expert will identify signs of past, present or potential future rodent entrance points. We will present a plan to implement our provensystem for rodent prevention.
A mouse hole in memory foam, Eugene, OR.
Rat entering home through a stink pipe in roof
Our Rodent Proofing System is designed specifically for Douglas and Lane County homes and really works. This system has been successfully implemented on large homes, small homes, and commercial buildings throughout Eugene and Roseburg with guaranteed success. We are so confident in fact that we back every rodent proofing job completed 100 percent against rodent reentry.
Our Guarantee
Don’t take chances with rat or mouse contamination in your home. Our Rodent Removal and Pest Proofing Services are guarantee 100 percent. See for yourself why Bug Zapper Pest Control rates TOP incustomer satisfaction reviews.
If you are done with bugs, rats and other pests, then don’t mess around. Contact us hereor call to schedule a FREE inspection.
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All it takes is a pea-sized portion placed on the trap and rats are going to literally go nuts to get at this stuff. Don’t waste your time with cheese. Believe us the pros don’t try to catch rats using cheese.
If you don’t have access to tamper-resistant bait stations like the one pictured, you can even use a heavy cardboard box with a small hole cut in the side and a heavy item on top to hold it in place. Ultimately, you know your children and pets and if you think they might be clever enough to access traps, don’t take chances.
