Common Rodents In New York

Common Pest Rodents In NY

There is no shortage of rodents in New York. These are no tiny, soft little hamsters, adorable gerbils, perky-eared chinchillas, pesky gophers, prickly porcupines, and even flat-tailed beavers. But those aren't the rodents we are going to be focusing on in this article. The rodents we are concerned about here are the common ones that get into homes and businesses and cause all sorts of problems. These rodents are deer mice, house mice, Norway rats, roof rats, and squirrels.

Deer Mouse

A deer mouse has a tiny, round, slender body that weighs 10 to 24 grams and is around 200 mm long. These mice are grayish to reddish-brown on top and white on their bellies, with a sharp division between the two colors. Deer mice have a pointed nose, large, black, beady eyes, and long, prominent whiskers. Their ears are large, compared to their heads, and have very little fur covering them. But the rest of their body is covered with soft, dense fur. These little critters are famous for getting into homes and businesses and causing issues. Being rodents with ever-growing incisors, they never stop chewing. Some of the things they tend to chew are wood, sheetrock, insulation, plastic, and even electrical wires, which can be a fire hazard. They also leave their urine and feces everywhere they go and spread diseases and parasites through the structures they infest.

House Mouse

A house mouse has a pointed snout, small rounded ears, and a long naked or almost hairless, tail. As one of the most numerous species of the genus Mus, a house mouse is a wild animal yet lives almost exclusively with humans, as the name suggests. In fact, it is the house mouse that has been domesticated into what is called a "pet" or "fancy" mouse, and also as the "laboratory" mouse which plays a crucial role in biology and medicine. But the common house mouse, when it invades homes and businesses, will, like the deer mouse, pose a threat by spreading illness and constantly chewing.

Roof Rat

A roof rat is a dark brown to black in color and slightly smaller than its cousin, the Norway rat, measuring about 13 to 18 inches and weighing in at 5 to 9 ounces. They are slender, with large, nearly hairless ears. These rats typically nest outside in woodpiles and debris but often get into attics and build their nests there. Once inside, they pose the same threats as mice, spreading urine and feces and possible parasites wherever they crawl. They may spread disease either directly, by contaminating food, or by carrying in parasites that spread illness, such as fleas or ticks.

Norway Rat

A Norway rat, which actually originated in Asia, not Norway, is slightly smaller than a roof rat and is commonly referred to as "brown rats," "sewer rats," and "wharf rats." Norway rats are stocky, weigh about 1 pound, and usually have brownish or reddish-gray on the top and whitish gray on their bellies. Unlike roof rats that often live in nature. Norway rats live in close association with people, typically in cellars, stores, warehouses, slaughterhouses, sewers, and docks. These rats are nocturnal, so they are most active at night; however, if populations are high, you may see some of them venturing out during the day.

Squirrel

A squirrel is less likely to find its way into your attic or wall voids than the above-mentioned rodents, and they aren't likely to be foraging around in your kitchen or pantry areas if they do. But, if a squirrel decides to take up residence, they can make quite a mess by digging up insulation, leaving urine and feces everywhere they go and possibly bringing in mites, lice, ticks, fleas, or worms. And if that invading squirrel happens to be a female, she might decide to have a litter of squirrel kits right there in your attic. If you become aware that one or more squirrels live in your attic, do not try to remove them on your own, as they can become dangerous, especially if they have a litter of little ones.

If you are experiencing any of these rodents in or around your New York home or business, Parkway Pest Services can assist you with the most advanced rodent control, monitoring, and seclusion protocols available. Call now for immediate assistance.