Mice
The average house mouse is 6-8 inches in length, the body makes up for half the length of the rodent and the tail makes up for the other half. They are grey or patchy brown in colour with large ears and eyes. The female house mouse can have on an average 8 litters a year producing 48 babies. The life span of a house mouse is approximately one year. Most mice can fit into holes bigger than a ¼ inch wide and are able to climb very well.
Rats
Rats are grey or brown in colour with black spots sometimes. They are much larger than the common house mouse and can be 15 inches long including the tail. They have smaller eyes and ears but have a long snout. Female rats can lay up to 3-6 litters a year, each of which produces an average of 6 rats. The average life span of an adult rat is between 6-12 months. Rats are much more aggressive than mice and are known to cause damage. Rats will have much larger feces than a mouse and are more aggressive, so they will chew through most material and will burrow to get around.
Signs of Rodents
A major sign that you have rodents is seeing feces, usually black in colour and shaped like small grains of rice (rat feces is larger and will be around ¾ of an inch), you will find them near cupboards, the pantry, your closet, underneath the sink. Other signs of rodents are hearing scratching, squeaking or scurrying in your walls, floors, or ceilings. If you have holes in bags of grains, boxes of cereal or tiny bites taken out of food that’s laid out on your counters are also signs that you have rodents in your home.