It’s not a reality you want to consider — dirty rodents wandering your home at night — but rats and mice are very common pests. They are also present widely in the Triangle area of North Carolina, whether it’s Raleigh, Cary, Durham, Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, Apex or beyond. 

House mice and Norway rats are among the most widely seen in the area, but there are also black rats, deer mice and other similar pests. These rodents are able to fit through very small openings to make their way into a home and will then quietly set up a home. If they go unnoticed, they can breed quickly, creating large colonies in mere months. 

Keeping an eye out for mice and rats

Within a home, certain species will prefer different areas. “Roof” rats are given that name because they will often live in the gutters or in attics. They will live in basements and crawl spaces though too. House mice live behind walls, in crawlspaces, in attics and under floors. Norway rats (sometimes called sewer rats) don’t make their homes inside as often, and are larger and more aggressive, but may sneak in and then return to their homes later. We offer professional animal exclusion services to keep mice and rats out, and crawlspace cleaning services to get it clean and safe.

Finding signs of their activity is not difficult when you know what to look for. If you find signs in one place, you should probably keep an eye out in other places. They will spread from a crawlspace into walls, and then from the walls into the attic — as an example — as their colony grows. Mice and rats are generally nocturnal, so especially keep your eyes and ears open at night. Here’s what to look for:

• Signs of a nest
• Chew marks on boards or wires
• Fecal matter in attic, crawlspace, etc
• Noises under floor or in walls
• Damaged insulation
• Clogged gutters
• Visual sightings of rats and mice

Once you’ve identified rats and mice… now what?

Even just a few small signs of these rodents in your home could mean a large infestation is present. Because they are so good at avoiding detection and because they operate at night, one mouse sighting could be just the tip of the iceberg. 

Do not live with the knowledge that you have rats and mice around you and your loved ones and do nothing. They are dirty animals that carry many diseases. A bite or contaminated food could lead to a serious medical condition for you or for your spouse, children or pets. It can also be dangerous to attempt to eliminate a colony if you aren’t trained in using the traps and poisons that are often sold to deal with these pests.

Instead, call your area critter expert — Critter Control of the Triangle. We have the experience, training and tools to tackle the job. We can eliminate the rat or mouse colonies quickly and fully. Call us today at 919-382-0651.