Rodent ID - Mouse or Rat?

Fish Haid

I've have some mouse problems in my barn workshop and camper from time to time.  In August, I put my foot into my MX boot and found a whole family.

I usually get brown/white mice, or grey mice.  Usually, they have BIG eyes.  This one has small eyes, and a scaly tail.

Mouse or rat?

Fish Haid

I guess photos would help!

Edit - this is a normal small-size mouse trap.

AC Man

Mouse

Westwall01

It's an ultra rare leprosy bearing spitting rat. You should move immediately.

stc1993

That must be a different type of mouse.   I've never seen one with a tail like that or as long.

cadman

That is a Roof Rat. 
Kill them all. 
Very common.

mindyabiness

Westwall01 said:

It's an ultra rare leprosy bearing spitting rat. You should move immediately.

Nonsense......He doesn't have to move.


He could just burn the house down.

Rockslam

rat

Mango Man

Does it really matter?

cadman

Mango Man said:

Does it really matter?

No, kill them all

mindyabiness

cadman said:

Mango Man said:

Does it really matter?

No, kill them all

That rodent thing can get way out of hand before you know it. If the pests have a consistent plentiful food source and shelter from predators, the numbers can expand exponentially.
That can mean a significant health risk. You should take steps to mitigate that as soon as possible.
You have mentioned that you have renters. This means you have a greater liability, especially if there is kids involved.

stc1993

Cad is correct roof rat or black rat.

https://www.pestworld.org/pest-guide/rodents/roof-rats/

swampwalker

Yep - rat. When we were kids we'd get mice from the pet store as pets. Very small little vermin and cute. Rats can be very destructive.... Used to shoot the big woods rats out of our backyard fruit trees at night. Rat shot and a light - (country boys in the city...).

Fish Haid

I have been setting traps since putting my foot into an MX boot with a litter of baby mice inside.  This was a few months ago.  They were living in my motorhome, where I kept my boots.  Those were mice, for sure.  I noticed a few of the mousetraps in the barn had disappeared recently.  Blamed it on my dogs.  Then, a few days ago one disappeared from high up on a shelf, so I knew something was up.

Same day, I was working on stripping some old electronic lab equipment for scrap and smelled rodent **** and found droppings and lots of acorns inside the thing (about size of a big microwave).  Set traps near that, and I caught the one in the photos first night.

Doubled-up on traps yesterday, and also set out a few bigger (rat) traps.  I caught 2 more rats last night - both just a bit bigger than first.  The war is on!!!

Westwall01

Sounds like an invasion. Be careful what you use to protect your property as some here may accuse you of using banned chemical weapons or being too harsh cause they are only trying to give their offspring a better life on your property.

AaronCannon

Tail longer than body=rat.
If catches dwindle, but bait disappears, loosely wrap peanut butter on trigger with dental floss.  

AC Man

I meant to say rat. 

Nickhoog

Rat, back feet are the difference.  longer toes...

Gary S

Also be careful with the cleanup. Rat urine can cause some bad health problems.

Fish Haid

Well, caught one more last night. Up to 4 in 3 days.  Caught in one of the small traps.  Also, one other small trap went missing.  Exterminator friend said just to use big traps.  Better to let them learn to steal bait, than learn to avoid trap that snaps at them.  Makes sense to me. 

Good idea about string (dental floss?) on bait pedal.  Maybe tie small piece of cotton on there and wipe with PB?  Maybe half a Q-tip jammed in there as a lever?

treemanjohn

You better jump on it asap. If you're seeing that kind of activity you have hundreds if not thousands of rats. No joke.

You can use pillow floss as trap bait also. They are obsessed with collecting bedding materials and cant resist

Westwall01

Mustard gas your house.....problem solved

mindyabiness

I put the bait under or to the bottom side of the pedal. That way they are more likely to move it when eating the bait.

I have had really good luck with Reece's peanut butter cups. They have a lot of scent, lots of calories and attract rats from a long distance. You will find 2 rats in one trap. They actually fight over the food.
If you're leaving dry food in the dog bowl....that's part of the problem. If anybody around you has a bird feeder, that has to stop. If you neighbors keep chickens or any livestock.....you'll have to go another route along with the traps.

There is a lot of acorns this year so there is a lot of food about for another few weeks until they start to rot.

If you have any machinery or autos plan on checking that through the winter. Rats nest in cars and tractors and will chew on the wires.

AaronCannon

Drop of vanilla extract on cottonball.
Also, nothing wrong with prebaiting.  Bait trap, but dont set, for a few days. Kinda like chumming.

surfman

Dab of peanut butter works great.

surfman

Please don't use rat poison or glue traps those things kill a lot more than rats and mice.

tjensen

mindyabiness said:

Westwall01 said:

It's an ultra rare leprosy bearing spitting rat. You should move immediately.

Nonsense......He doesn't have to move.


He could just burn the house down.

Maybe not leprosy but this roof rat had mange and I was considering burning the whole hood to save humanity!

tjensen

Sorry pic won't post.

Turner River Terror

Their just little dogs..
Kinda like little Pups with long tails. If you feed them regularly you can get them to sleep with you at night.
Nothing like a couple Rats all cuddled up on your pillow just waiting for a hug and a Snickers bar.....winning...

cadman

You can use poison in a bait station where only the rat can get it. I have a few at the perimeter of the yard.

cadman

You could get some rat terriors. Saw a video of a group using them in New York to kill rats.