Rats and mice are formidable reproducers. As frequently as every three weeks rats can bear eight to twelve young, and mice four to six. During their average life span of one year or less, rats may wean about twenty young each and mice thirty to forty.

Since rodents reach sexual maturity two to three months after birth, mating from a single pair could reach 15,000 offspring in a year's time.

Fortunately limiting factors and control efforts reduce this potential.  In southeast Texas, we deal mostly with roof rats, or as some people call them, tree rats.  They are very acrobatic climbers, and will jump from trees, or travel down power lines to homes and businesses for access.

In general, rodents have three basic requirements: food, water, and harborage (places to hide and nest. If one or more of these items is missing from the area, rodent populations will remain low. Although both rats and mice need water to survive, mice are often able to get what little moisture they need from the food they eat. This ability allows them to nest and feed in locations where water is not abundant. Rats are very adaptable, but they cannot extract enough moisture from their food and must be relatively close to a source of water

Rats are smart and shy, and they gain intelligence, mice are dumb and curious. Consequently, mouse trapping is a matter of quantity and persistence, and most homeowners can solve their own mouse problem. Traps baited with a dab of bait (peanut butter, banana, or even a cotton ball) should be placed at 5- to 10-foot intervals throughout the house. Placement is important. Traps should be placed next to walls because rodents truly have very poor eyesight. Corners are good locations.

Once traps have been placed, inspect the locations frequently and replenish the traps as needed. The cheap glue traps sold at most hardware stores work very well and will frequently catch more than one mouse. Be very thorough in cleaning up because rodents urinate and defecate a lot (up to 75 times per day).

PPP highly discourages the use of store-bought baits as they are not typically stored or used properly and there is no way to control where the critters might die. We do use rodent bait, but only in tamper-resistant bait stations and most of the time, outside.

Homeowners cannot typically solve their own rat problem. They may catch some rats, but dominant rats will eventually outsmart the homeowner and professional help will be needed. A rat job is neither fun nor cheap, but the damage they cause and diseases they carry can be far more expensive.

Call us at 281-807-PEST (7378) if you need help with these pests:
Coons, Mice, Possums, Rats, Snakes, Spiders, and Squirrels.